DUBAI: A fire in one of the world’s tallest residential towers was caused by a discarded cigarette butt, Dubai’s fire chief has revealed.
Residents at Torch Tower were evacuated in the early hours of the morning on Aug. 4, this year, as a blaze engulfed a corner of the building.
Now officials have revealed that the cause of the fire was a cigarette that fell onto a plant on a balcony which caught fire, assisted by high winds – adding that the building’s flammable cladding might have also played a part.
“The Torch fire was caused by a minor source of heat and wind ignited the fire,” said Dubai Civil Defense director, Maj Gen Rashid Al-Matroushi.
There were no casualties in the Aug. 4 blaze, but 475 people had to be evacuated from the building, and 38 apartments were damaged.
Cause of Dubai's Torch Tower blaze revealed
Cause of Dubai's Torch Tower blaze revealed
