Skyscraper fire
Encyclopedia
A skyscraper fire or high-rise fire is a class of structural fire
specific to tall buildings
. Skyscraper fires are one of the most technical fire suppression challenges posed to modern fire department
s, and require a high degree of organization and cooperation among participating units to be successfully contained and extinguished. Skyscraper fires are often multiple-alarm fire
s.
and subsequent evacuation of the building's occupants. The fire department, after responding, will then divide into various teams to accomplish different tasks. For instance, one or more teams will be responsible for searching
the building floor by floor (starting at the fire floor) for trapped or unevacuated occupants. Another team will be assigned to attack the fire at the fire floor. A Firefighter Assist and Search Team
(FAST) will standby at the floor below the fire ready to assist in case of a mayday
. A team will also be assigned to shut off the building's utilities. All these operations may be coordinated and controlled from a central command vehicle mobilised to the scene.
Various roles are required on the exterior as well. A truck or ladder company will be responsible for establishing means of egress on the outside of the building, providing horizontal ventilation
by breaking windows if necessary, and possibly assisting in the suppression effort from the exterior with master stream
s. Various crews, or at minimum individuals, will be responsible for establishing and maintaining the various water supplies. EMT
s and paramedic
s will be responsible for establishing care to victims of the fire and monitoring firefighters who recently exited the building. Last but not least, the officer in command of the incident may establish a team to assist him in his organizational duties.
Structure fire
A structure fire is a fire involving the structural components of various residential buildings ranging from single-family detached homes and townhouses to apartments and tower blocks, or various commercial buildings ranging from offices to shopping malls...
specific to tall buildings
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
. Skyscraper fires are one of the most technical fire suppression challenges posed to modern fire department
Fire department
A fire department or fire brigade is a public or private organization that provides fire protection for a certain jurisdiction, which typically is a municipality, county, or fire protection district...
s, and require a high degree of organization and cooperation among participating units to be successfully contained and extinguished. Skyscraper fires are often multiple-alarm fire
Multiple-alarm fire
One-alarm, two-alarm, three-alarm fires, or higher, are categories of fires indicating the level of response by local authorities, with an elevated number of alarms indicating increased commitment of resources. The term multiple-alarm is a quick way of indicating that a fire was severe and...
s.
Typical fire department response pattern
In the event of a skyscraper fire, the first action that needs to be taken is the activation of the fire alarm systemFire alarm system
An automatic fire alarm system is designed to detect the unwanted presence of fire by monitoring environmental changes associated with combustion. In general, a fire alarm system is classified as either automatically actuated, manually actuated, or both...
and subsequent evacuation of the building's occupants. The fire department, after responding, will then divide into various teams to accomplish different tasks. For instance, one or more teams will be responsible for searching
Urban search and rescue
Urban search and rescue involves the location, extrication, and initial medical stabilization of victims trapped in confined spaces due to natural disasters, structural collapse, transportation accidents, mines and collapsed trenches.USAR teams in different countries may be organised in a...
the building floor by floor (starting at the fire floor) for trapped or unevacuated occupants. Another team will be assigned to attack the fire at the fire floor. A Firefighter Assist and Search Team
Firefighter Assist and Search Team
A Firefighter Assist and Search Team , also known as a Rapid Intervention Team/Crew , is a team of two or more firefighters dedicated solely to search and rescue of other firefighters in distress. FAST shall have no other operational assignment during an incident...
(FAST) will standby at the floor below the fire ready to assist in case of a mayday
Mayday (distress signal)
Mayday is an emergency procedure word used internationally as a distress signal in voice procedure radio communications. It derives from the French venez m'aider, meaning "come help me"....
. A team will also be assigned to shut off the building's utilities. All these operations may be coordinated and controlled from a central command vehicle mobilised to the scene.
Various roles are required on the exterior as well. A truck or ladder company will be responsible for establishing means of egress on the outside of the building, providing horizontal ventilation
Ventilation (architecture)
Ventilating is the process of "changing" or replacing air in any space to provide high indoor air quality...
by breaking windows if necessary, and possibly assisting in the suppression effort from the exterior with master stream
Deluge gun
A deluge gun, fire monitor, master stream, or deck gun is an aimable controllable high-capacity water jet used for manual firefighting or automatic fire protection systems. Fire monitors are often designed to accommodate foam which has been injected in the upstream piping...
s. Various crews, or at minimum individuals, will be responsible for establishing and maintaining the various water supplies. EMT
Emergency medical technician
Emergency Medical Technician or Ambulance Technician are terms used in some countries to denote a healthcare provider of emergency medical services...
s and paramedic
Paramedic
A paramedic is a healthcare professional that works in emergency medical situations. Paramedics provide advanced levels of care for medical emergencies and trauma. The majority of paramedics are based in the field in ambulances, emergency response vehicles, or in specialist mobile units such as...
s will be responsible for establishing care to victims of the fire and monitoring firefighters who recently exited the building. Last but not least, the officer in command of the incident may establish a team to assist him in his organizational duties.
Notable fires
| Building | Location | Date | Fire duration (hrs:min) | Death(s) | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empire State Building Empire State Building The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived... |
New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... |
July 28, 1945 | 14 | Plane crash B-25 Empire State Building crash The B-25 Empire State Building crash was a 1945 aircraft accident in which a B-25 Mitchell piloted in thick fog crashed into the Empire State Building... |
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| 40 Wall Street 40 Wall Street 40 Wall Street is a 70-story skyscraper in New York City. Originally known as the Bank of Manhattan Trust building, and also known as Manhattan Company Building, it was later known by its street address when its founding tenant merged to form the Chase Manhattan Bank and today is known as the... |
New York City | May 20, 1946 | 5 | Plane crash | ||
| Winecoff Hotel Winecoff Hotel The Winecoff Hotel, today the Ellis Hotel, is located at 176 Peachtree Street NW, in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Designed by William Lee Stoddart, the 15-story building opened in 1913... |
Atlanta | Dec 7, 1946 | 119 | Deadliest hotel fire in U.S. history | ||
| 1 New York Plaza | New York City | Aug 5, 1970 | 2 | |||
| Andraus Building Andraus Building The Andraus Building is a well-known building in the city centre of São Paulo, Brazil which is located in Republic district, on the corner of avenida São João with rua Pedro Américo. It is 115 metres tall and has 32 floors, and its construction ended in 1962. On February 24, 1972, the building... |
São Paulo São Paulo São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among... |
Feb 24, 1972 | 16 | |||
| Rault Tower | New Orleans | Nov 29, 1972 | 6 | |||
| Joelma Building Joelma Building The Joelma Building is a 25 floor skyscraper in São Paulo, Brazil, located at 225 Avenida 9 de Julho. At 8:50am on 1 February 1974, an air conditioning unit on the twelfth floor overheated, starting a fire. There were 756 people in the building at the time. Because flammable materials had been used... |
São Paulo | Feb 1, 1974 | 179-189 | See main article: Joelma fire Joelma Fire The Joelma fire occurred on Friday February 1, 1974, in the Joelma building, a 25 story building situated in downtown São Paulo, at 225 Avenue Nine of July. It is one of the most notable tragedies to have occurred in Brazil.... |
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| One World Trade Center World Trade Center The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new... |
New York City | Feb 13, 1975 | 0 | |||
| Campbell Shopping Complex | Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million... |
Apr 8, 1976 | 1 | See main article : Campbell Shopping Complex fire | ||
| Bank Bumiputra | Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million... |
Nov 4, 1980 | ? | |||
| The old MGM Grand Bally's Las Vegas Bally's Las Vegas, formerly the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip. The Las Vegas resort is located within the unincorporated locale of Paradise, Nevada and is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment Corp.. The hotel features 2,814 extra-sized... |
Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous... |
Nov 21, 1980 | 84 | See main article: MGM Grand fire | ||
| Las Vegas Hilton Las Vegas Hilton The Las Vegas Hilton is a hotel, casino, and convention center in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is a joint venture between Colony Capital, which owns 60 percent, and New York City-based REIT Whitehall Street Real Estate Funds, which owns the remaining 40 percent... |
Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous... |
Feb 10, 1981 | 8 | Arson | ||
| Al Rasheed Hotel Al Rasheed Hotel Hotel Al-Rasheed is an 18-story hotel in Baghdad, Iraq, favored by journalists and media personnel. It is named for Harun Al-Rashid.... |
Baghdad Baghdad Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040... |
Jul 21, 1982 | 1 | Plane crash-Suicide by F-4 Phantom during Iran-Iraq War | ||
| Northwestern National Bank | Minneapolis | Nov 25-26, 1982 | 0 | See main article: Minneapolis Thanksgiving Day fire Minneapolis Thanksgiving Day Fire The Minneapolis Thanksgiving Day fire destroyed an entire block of Downtown Minneapolis on November 25–26, 1982, including the 16-story headquarters of Northwestern National Bank and the vacant, partially demolished location formerly occupied by Donaldson's department store, which had... |
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| KOMTAR KOMTAR Komtar Tower, or Menara Komtar Complex is Penang's tallest building and the sixth tallest building in Malaysia located in the heart of George Town, dominating the island's skyline. KOMTAR is a portmanteau of Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak. When the skyscraper topped out it was the second tallest building... |
Penang Penang Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the... , Malaysia |
Jan 23, 1983 | 0 | |||
| Dupont Plaza Hotel San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino is a hotel casino located on the beach in Condado, San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is operated by Marriott International.... |
Condado, Puerto Rico | Dec 31, 1986 | 97 | See main article: Dupont Plaza Hotel arson Dupont Plaza Hotel arson The Dupont Plaza Hotel fire was a fire that occurred at the Hotel Dupont Plaza in San Juan, Puerto Rico on New Year's Eve, December 31, 1986.... |
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| Hotel International | Zurich Zürich Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich... |
Feb 14, 1988 | 6 | Deadliest high-rise fire in Swiss history | ||
| First Interstate Tower Aon Center (Los Angeles) Aon Center is a 62-story, Modernist office skyscraper located at 707 Wilshire Boulevard in downtown Los Angeles, California. Designed by Charles Luckman, and completed in 1973, the rectangular black building with white trim is remarkably slender for a skyscraper in a seismically active area. It is... |
Los Angeles Los Ángeles Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants... |
May 4, 1988 | ~4:00 | 1 | See main article: First Interstate Tower fire First Interstate Tower fire The First Interstate Tower fire was a high-rise fire that occurred on May 4, 1988 at the First Interstate Tower in Los Angeles, California... |
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| One Meridian Plaza One Meridian Plaza One Meridian Plaza was a 38-story high-rise office building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The tower was designed by Vincent Kling & Associates and completed in 1972. The building was demolished in 1999 as a result of damage of a fire that began on February 23, 1991... |
Philadelphia | Feb 23-24, 1991 | ||||
| UNITIC Twin Towers | Sarajevo Sarajevo Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans.... |
May 28, 1992 | Couple of days | ? | Burned after being repeatedly hit by Serbian incendiary tank shells Siege of Sarajevo The Siege of Sarajevo is the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare. Serb forces of the Republika Srpska and the Yugoslav People's Army besieged Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, from 5 April 1992 to 29 February 1996 during the Bosnian War.After Bosnia... . |
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| Bosnian Parliament Building Greece – Bosnia and Herzegovina Friendship Building The Greece-Bosnia and Herzegovina Friendship Building is an office tower located in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The building houses the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is often erroneously referred to as the Parliament building... |
Sarajevo Sarajevo Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans.... |
May 28, 1992 | Couple of days | ? | Burned after being repeatedly hit by Serbian incendiary tank shells Siege of Sarajevo The Siege of Sarajevo is the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare. Serb forces of the Republika Srpska and the Yugoslav People's Army besieged Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, from 5 April 1992 to 29 February 1996 during the Bosnian War.After Bosnia... . |
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| One World Trade Center World Trade Center The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new... |
New York City | Feb 26, 1993 | 6 | Bombing 1993 World Trade Center bombing The 1993 World Trade Center bombing occurred on February 26, 1993, when a truck bomb was detonated below the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. The 1,336 lb urea nitrate–hydrogen gas enhanced device was intended to knock the North Tower into the South Tower , bringing... which also resulted in 1,042 smoke related injuries |
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| Stratosphere Tower Stratosphere Las Vegas Stratosphere Las Vegas is a tower, hotel, and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Its tower is also the tallest observation tower, and the 5th-tallest structure, in the United States, as well as being the tallest structure in Las Vegas.It is owned by Whitehall... |
Las Vegas | Aug 30, 1993 | 0 | Occurred during construction | ||
| Garley building | Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour... |
Nov 20, 1996 | 41 | Occurred during renovation; see main article: 1996 Garley Building fire | ||
| Immigration Tower Immigration Tower The Immigration Tower is a skyscraper located in the Wan Chai District of Hong Kong. The tower rises 49 floors and in height. The building was completed in 1990. The Immigration Tower, which stands as the 93rd-tallest building in Hong Kong, is composed entirely of office space... |
Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour... |
Aug 2, 2000 | 0 | |||
| Ostankino Tower Ostankino Tower Ostankino Tower is a free-standing television and radio tower in Moscow, Russia. Standing tall, Ostankino was designed by Nikolai Nikitin. It is a member of the World Federation of Great Towers, currently the tallest in Europe and 4th tallest in the world. The tower was the first free-standing... |
Moscow Moscow Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent... |
Aug 27, 2000 | 3 | Tallest structure in Europe Europe Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting... |
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| World Trade Center World Trade Center The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new... 1 and 2 |
New York City | Sep 11, 2001 | WTC1 - 1:42; WTC2 - 0:52 |
WTC1 - 1470 (excl. 87 aircraft passengers); WTC2 - 695 (excl. 60 aircraft passengers) |
Plane crash: September 11 attacks. Full structural collapse. | |
| The Pentagon The Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect... |
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution.... |
Sep 11, 2001 | 184 | Plane crash: September 11 attacks-American Airlines Flight 77 American Airlines Flight 77 American Airlines Flight 77 was American Airlines' daily scheduled morning transcontinental flight, from Washington Dulles International Airport, in Dulles, Virginia to Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California... |
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| 7 World Trade Center 7 World Trade Center 7 World Trade Center is a building in New York City located across from the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan. It is the second building to bear that name and address in that location. The original structure was completed in 1987 and was destroyed in the September 11 attacks... |
New York City | Sep 11, 2001 | 0 | Debris coming from the collapsing One World Trade Center World Trade Center The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new... : September 11 attacks |
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| 90 West Street | New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... |
Sep 11, 2001 | 2 | Damaged by debris from the collapse of 2 World Trade Center World Trade Center The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new... . Though this building suffered similar damage with 7 World Trade Center 7 World Trade Center 7 World Trade Center is a building in New York City located across from the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan. It is the second building to bear that name and address in that location. The original structure was completed in 1987 and was destroyed in the September 11 attacks... , this building did not collapse. |
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| Pirelli Tower Pirelli Tower The Pirelli Tower , is a skyscraper in Milan, Italy.-History:... |
Milan Milan Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,... |
April 18, 2002 | 3 | Plane crash 2002 Pirelli Tower plane crash On April 18, 2002, a Rockwell Commander 112 crashed into the upper floors of the Pirelli Tower in Milan, Italy, for reasons still unclear. The crash killed the pilot and two others in the building at 17:48... |
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| Al Rasheed Hotel Al Rasheed Hotel Hotel Al-Rasheed is an 18-story hotel in Baghdad, Iraq, favored by journalists and media personnel. It is named for Harun Al-Rashid.... |
Baghdad Baghdad Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040... |
Dec 26, 2003 | 1 | twenty-eight 68 mm and 85 mm Katyusha rockets were fired at and struck the hotel | ||
| Parque Central Complex Parque Central Complex The Parque Central Complex is a housing, commercial and cultural development, implemented by Centro Simón Bolívar and located in the urbanization of the county in the center of the city of Caracas, Venezuela adjacent to Paseo Vargas.... east tower |
Caracas Caracas Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range... |
Oct 17, 2004 | 0 | Damage to 34th-44th floors | ||
| Windsor Tower Windsor Tower The Windsor Tower was built in 1979 in the financial center of Madrid, Spain. This office building was 106 m high and had 32 floors of which 29 were above ground level and 3 below, thus ranking it as the eighth tallest building in Madrid... |
Madrid Madrid Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan... |
Feb 12, 2005 | 0 | Partially collapsed; subsequently demolished | ||
| Tohid Town Residental | Tehran Tehran Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to... |
Dec 6, 2005 | 128 | Plane crash: 2005 Iranian Air Force C-130 crash | ||
| Transport Tower | Astana Astana Astana , formerly known as Akmola , Tselinograd and Akmolinsk , is the capital and second largest city of Kazakhstan, with an officially estimated population of 708,794 as of 1 August 2010... , Kazakhstan Kazakhstan Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe... |
May 30, 2006 | 0 | Fire destroyed upper floors of 34-storey government building | ||
| Belaire Apartments Belaire Apartments Belaire Apartments is a mixed-use high-rise condominium apartment building in Manhattan, New York City. The 42-story building is located at 524 East 72nd Street between York Avenue and the FDR Drive. It has 183 condominium apartments, a health club, parking garage and swimming pool... |
New York City | Oct 11, 2006 | 2 | Plane crash 2006 New York City plane crash The 2006 New York City plane crash occurred on October 11, 2006, when a Cirrus SR20 general aviation, fixed-wing, single-engine light aircraft crashed into the Belaire Apartments in New York City at about 2:42 p.m. local time... |
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| Shanghai World Financial Center Shanghai World Financial Center The most distinctive feature in the design of the building is an aperture at the peak. The original design specified a circular aperture, in diameter, to reduce the stresses of wind pressure, as well as serve as a subtext for the design, since "Chinese mythology represents the earth with a square... |
Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010... |
Aug 14, 2007 | 0 | Occurred on 40th floor during construction | ||
| Deutsche Bank Building Deutsche Bank Building The Deutsche Bank Building was a skyscraper at 130 Liberty Street in New York City, United States, adjacent to the World Trade Center . Opened in 1974 as Bankers Trust Plaza, the building was acquired by Deutsche Bank when it acquired Bankers Trust in 1998. It was part of the skyline of Lower... |
New York City | Aug 18, 2007 | 2 | Occurred during deconstruction, under demolition due to September 11 attacks | ||
| Monte Carlo Resort and Casino Monte Carlo Resort and Casino The Monte Carlo Resort and Casino is a megaresort hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, USA. The hotel is 32 stories, featuring a casino floor with over 2,200 slot and video poker machines and 95 table games. It is operated by MGM Resorts International... |
Las Vegas | Jan 25, 2008 | 0 | Fire affecting top six floors | ||
| Abraj Al Bait Towers Abraj Al Bait Towers The Abraj Al-Bait Towers, also known as the Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower, is a building complex in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The complex holds several world records, including the tallest hotel in the world, the tallest clock tower in the world, the world's largest clock face, and the world's largest... |
Mecca Mecca Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level... |
Oct 28, 2008 | 0 | Occurred during construction; fire consumed nine floors | ||
| Beijing Television Cultural Center Beijing Television Cultural Center The Television Cultural Center was due to open in mid-May 2009 containing a hotel, a theatre and several studios. -Planning:... |
Beijing Beijing Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's... |
Feb 9, 2009 | 1 | See main article: Beijing Television Cultural Center fire | ||
| Bashundhara City Tower Bashundhara City Bashundhara City is a shopping mall located in Dhaka, Bangladesh with a rotunda architecture. . Opened to the public on 6 August 2004, the mall is located at Panthapath, near Karwan Bazar, in Dhaka city... |
Dhaka Dhaka Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city... |
March 13, 2009 | 4 | |||
| Abraj Al Bait Towers | Mecca | May 1, 2009 | 0 | Occurred during construction | ||
| Unnamed high-rise apartment block | Shanghai | Nov 15, 2010 | 58 | Occurred during renovation; see main article: 2010 Shanghai fire 2010 Shanghai fire The 2010 Shanghai fireThe PRC State Council officially named it "上海“11·15”特别重大火灾" or "上海市静安区胶州路公寓大楼“11·15”特别重大火灾事故"... |
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| Dynasty Wanxin building complex Towers A and B (Tower C was unaffected) | Shenyang | Feb 3, 2011 | 0 | Started from fireworks during Chinese New Year Celebrations |
See also
- SkyscraperSkyscraperA skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
- Tower blockTower blockA tower block, high-rise, apartment tower, office tower, apartment block, or block of flats, is a tall building or structure used as a residential and/or office building...
- Firefighting
- The Towering InfernoThe Towering InfernoThe Towering Inferno is a 1974 American action disaster film produced by Irwin Allen featuring an all-star cast led by Steve McQueen and Paul Newman.A co-production between Twentieth Century-Fox and Warner Bros...
(film)