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Photo Essay: Fire Destroys Skyscraper in Madrid
News.Com.AU ^ | 02/14/05 | staff

Posted on 02/14/2005 7:59:21 AM PST by yankeedame


Blaze ... a 31-storey skyscraper in Madrid was gutted after a fire consumed it for more than 20 hours

The fire broke out on the 21st floor of Madrid's Windsor building after an apparent short circuit.


The fire was so large it lit the city of Madrid for a radius of several kilometres with an eerie glow.


The building burned so fiercely it could clearly be seen from many kilometres away.


Luckily there was no one in the building when it went up in flames.

The stresses caused by the intense heat of the fire caused the top of the building to buckle dangerously.


The skyscraper was left a twisted, smoking wreck by the intense heat.


A thick pall of smoke smothering Madrid meant the city experienced a subdued start to the day.


Firefighters do what they can to control the fire devestating the 106m-tall building


Firefighters take a break from their hopeless task of saving the skyscraper. Authorities fear the building may have been terminally weakened by the heat.


Thick smoke shrouds the ruins. There were no reported deaths from the blaze.

The fire was finally quenched more than 20 hours after it first broke out. Seven firefighters suffered from smoke inhalation fighting the blaze.


This woman surveys the extent of the damage in the light of day. Dozens of families were evacuated from the area. Pictures: Reuters, AFP, AP


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: toweringinferno
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1 posted on 02/14/2005 7:59:21 AM PST by yankeedame
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To: yankeedame

It didn't take an airplane or a boxcutter.


2 posted on 02/14/2005 8:00:17 AM PST by Paloma_55
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To: yankeedame

Sicilian Lightning?


3 posted on 02/14/2005 8:00:34 AM PST by BullDog108 (Forgive the Russians / Ignore the Germans / Punish the French)
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To: yankeedame

Wow, that's a fire! Unbelievable.


4 posted on 02/14/2005 8:01:03 AM PST by dead (I've got my eye out for Mullah Omar.)
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To: yankeedame

This building must have had some lousy fireproofing and sprinkler systems. Why was the blaze so out of control?


5 posted on 02/14/2005 8:01:07 AM PST by srm913
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To: Paloma_55

"It didn't take an airplane or a boxcutter."


Nor did this tower collapse under far-more intense heat.


6 posted on 02/14/2005 8:03:24 AM PST by Blzbba (Don't hate the player - hate the game!)
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To: Blzbba
Nor did this tower collapse under far-more intense heat.

What makes you think this fire had more intense heat? It certainly didn't have over 10,000 gallons of jet fuel to feed it...

7 posted on 02/14/2005 8:08:26 AM PST by green iguana
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To: Blzbba
"Nor did this tower collapse under far-more intense heat."

The heat from flaming building materials would be far-less intense than the flames of burning jet fuel.

8 posted on 02/14/2005 8:08:50 AM PST by JustRight
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To: yankeedame

Its amazing that there were no casualties.


9 posted on 02/14/2005 8:09:22 AM PST by Tarpaulin (Look it up.)
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To: Blzbba

It sure looks like it was collasping to me.

If this building had been 70 stories taller, it would have been a different outcome.


10 posted on 02/14/2005 8:11:30 AM PST by Bigh4u2
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To: yankeedame
I wonder if asbestos was still legal in Spain when this building was built. Part of the WTC was built using asbestos insulation, but it was banned during construction.

It's still going to have to be imploded though, I suspect, and this task will be strongly complicated by the fire.

-Eric

11 posted on 02/14/2005 8:12:16 AM PST by E Rocc (Leftists look at liberty the way Christians look at sin.)
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To: yankeedame

Incredible pictures!

It was announced today that City of Madrid is going to be responsible for the demolition, because it is such a huge project and could affect the subway lines that run through the area, etc.

They are also reviewing laws on fire suppression systems for buildings over 10 stories in height. This building was built in the 70s and apparently didn't have much in the way of an automatic fire suppression system.


12 posted on 02/14/2005 8:17:56 AM PST by livius
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To: JustRight

"The heat from flaming building materials would be far-less intense than the flames of burning jet fuel."


Not true. Jet fuel burns at 800 deg. This fire, according to the article, was over 1000 degrees.


13 posted on 02/14/2005 8:31:53 AM PST by Blzbba (Don't hate the player - hate the game!)
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To: green iguana

"What makes you think this fire had more intense heat?"


The fact that its 1000 degree temps are hotter than burning jet fuel and the fact that, unlike either WTC, it burned for over 20 hours -- without collapsing.


14 posted on 02/14/2005 8:33:17 AM PST by Blzbba (Don't hate the player - hate the game!)
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To: Blzbba

Nor did this tower experience the shock of having a passenger jet deliberately ram it at full speed.


15 posted on 02/14/2005 8:35:31 AM PST by thoughtomator (Call (600) 202 - 0206 - the telephone number of the beast)
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To: yankeedame
Given the bombings in Lebanon, and now the Phillipines, I am wondering if this was in fact, an electrical short as being explained, or terrorist related...

The coincidental timing is extraordinary..

16 posted on 02/14/2005 8:35:35 AM PST by Drammach (Freedom; not just a job, it's an adventure..)
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To: Blzbba

What appears to be an outside elevator might have acted as a stiffener, preventing the total collapse.


17 posted on 02/14/2005 8:39:14 AM PST by Old Professer (When the fear of dying no longer obtains no act is unimaginable.)
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To: Blzbba
Jet fuel burns at 800 deg.

That is true, but depending on how rapidly the fuel is oxygenated and air flow conditions the developed temperature can be much more.

18 posted on 02/14/2005 8:41:35 AM PST by oyez (¡Qué viva la revolución de Reagan!)
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To: yankeedame

I wonder if the evil son in law from "Towering Inferno" also did the electrical on this building?


19 posted on 02/14/2005 8:41:46 AM PST by AxelPaulsenJr (Pray Daily For Our Troops and President Bush)
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To: Old Professer
What appears to be an outside elevator

I wondered about that and thought it was one of those huge trash chutes they use when in construction and renovating so the debris will not be blown away in the wind.

20 posted on 02/14/2005 8:44:51 AM PST by oyez (¡Qué viva la revolución de Reagan!)
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