Fire breaks out at Almas Tower in Dubai

The Almas Tower in Jumeirah Lakes Towers was evacuated on Sunday after a fire broke out in its lightening rod, a Dubai Civil Defence official said.

“Fire crews were sent to the 64-storey tower to tackle the blaze, which started at 2.47pm. The fire started on the lightening rod of the tower and had been extinguished within 20 minutes,” they said.

Residents were evacuated to ensure their safety and nearby roads closed off. There were no injuries or casualties reported.

Two fire stations, Al Marsa and Al Barsha, took part in extinguishing the fire.

Lt Col Fares Belhasa, an official at Dubai Civil Defence, thanked fire fighters’ efforts in extinguishing the fire.

Pictures emerged on social media of smoke coming from the tower and reports that people had been asked to leave the building.

A Twitter statement from Dubai Media Office said that Dubai Civil Defence were working to put out the "minor" fire at Jumeirah Lakes Towers. By 5pm, the fire had been brought under control.

Despite the initial panic, most people on social media were relieved to be safe, although some took to twitter to vent about having to navigate the building's many stairs. Ironically, one organisation, who later deleted their tweet, had organised a "take the stairs" initiative to encourage people to get moving on the same day.