Fog misleads Dubai residents into thinking Burj Khalifa on fire

Fire trucks arrive at the scene only to realise that it was a false alarm.

Dubai, January 22, 2013 - A cloud behind the Burj Khalifa looks like smoke from a fire in Dubai, January 22, 2013. (Photo by: Sarah Dea/The National)
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DUBAI // Dense, low hanging fog was to blame for a false alarm last night causing some to fear the Burj Khalifa was on fire.

Rumours began on Twitter and the internet yesterday evening as the top of the building appeared to be shrouded in smoke.

One user on Twitter posted: "Heard that burj khalifa is on fire, is this true or just a rumor?#burjkhalifa".

Another wrote: "Fire at #BurjKhalifa - hope everyone is fine".

Police confirmed there was no fire and security at the world's tallest building confirmed it was just fog. Fire trucks had been to the site according to security at the Armani Hotel but soon left.

It is believed the uplighting of the tower highlights any low hanging cloud around the building. The same situation was seen last year on February 11, when fire trucks were again dispatched to the tower, only to be sent back to base.

That night, 10 firetrucks and several ambulances responded to calls suggesting there was a fire on the 100th floor. By midnight, the firefighters had left the scene. They told The National the scare was caused by a low-hanging cloud.

Witnesses at the scene said the cloud was "very convincing".

"It really did look like smoke," said one man who lived in a nearby apartment block.

For the latest UAE weather forecast go to thenational.ae/weather