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A fire broke out on Tuesday afternoon, June 23, inside Torre Moeve, one of the main skyscrapers in the business district north of Paseo de la Castellana in Madrid, forcing a full evacuation and sending a large emergency response into the area.

 

Firefighters confirmed the blaze was extinguished at 6.35pm after it started on one of the building’s upper floors. The fire is believed to have begun in a technical room on the 25th floor, roughly halfway up the 49-storey tower, which stands 248 metres tall.

 

Residents across Madrid reported seeing a thick column of smoke rising from the building, with emergency services receiving multiple calls about fire and smoke coming from the tower. Several people in the surrounding area also reported hearing a loud bang at the time the fire started, although firefighters later said they could not confirm whether an explosion actually took place.

 

The building was evacuated in an orderly manner, according to sources at the Moeve, who explained that alarms sounded before an announcement over the loudspeaker instructed staff to leave immediately due to a real fire. Workers described the evacuation as calm, with employees making their way down the stairs while emergency procedures were followed.

 

Some staff said they had recently taken part in a fire drill, which they believe helped keep the evacuation under control.

 

After the fire was brought under control, firefighters rescued three people who had been sheltered in a refuge area on the 27th floor. They had already been contacted by phone during the incident and monitored using security cameras. Officials confirmed they were safe and not in danger.

 

Emergency medical services treated two workers for mild smoke inhalation and a passerby who suffered an anxiety attack. None of those affected required hospital treatment.

 

Madrid fire chief Rubén Gallego explained that the technical room where the fire started was completely destroyed, but said there was no structural damage to the rest of the building. He also confirmed that the building’s fire suppression systems activated as expected and helped contain the blaze.

 

Investigators believe the fire may have had an electrical origin, although this has not yet been formally confirmed. Forensic teams and police units arrived at the scene later in the day to begin examining the cause.

 

By around 7.30pm, workers were allowed back inside briefly to collect belongings, with instructions issued for remote working the following day.

 

The incident is the second fire in Torre Moeve in just six months, after a transformer fire in December forced an evacuation, although no injuries were reported.

 

The building, designed by architect Norman Foster and opened in 2009, is the second tallest in Spain and houses around 2,500 workers, including staff from Moeve, Amazon and law firm Pérez-Llorca. It is owned by Amancio Ortega, who purchased it in 2016.

 

Image: @Juanpauzca on X