A fire at the Moeve Tower, one of Madrid's most iconic skyscrapers, forced the evacuation of workers from the building. The fire, which originated on an intermediate floor, was controlled by firefighters with no serious injuries.
On Tuesday afternoon, a fire broke out in the Moeve Tower, a prominent skyscraper located next to the Castellana promenade in Madrid. The fire started around 5:30 PM and was extinguished by 6:35 PM. The flames originated in the technical room on the 25th floor, which houses the building's maintenance facilities. According to initial reports, the fire had an electrical origin, which caused a loud explosion that alarmed nearby residents and workers.
Emergency services received multiple calls alerting them to smoke visible from various points in the city. In a swift response, evacuation protocols were activated, and employees were orderly evacuated. One worker recounted how an alarm sounded before receiving instructions over the loudspeaker: "Leave the building, there is a real fire."
Despite the scare and momentary chaos, there were no serious injuries. However, two workers were treated for mild smoke inhalation and a passerby suffered an anxiety attack during the incident. Firefighters managed to rescue three people who had become trapped in a refuge area on the 27th floor through telephone communication and security cameras.
The head of the operation indicated that only significant material damage was recorded in the technical room affected by the flames. Fortunately, the automatic fire systems functioned correctly, thereby minimizing structural damage to the rest of the building.
The intervention also caused temporary road closures on several major routes around the business complex, including access from the M-11 and M-30 to the Castellana. This resulted in considerable traffic delays for several hours.
Francisco Martín, the Government delegate in Madrid, expressed his concern via social media and assured that authorities were working to control the situation and protect those involved.
This incident is not isolated; it is the second fire recorded in less than six months within the same building. Last December, another minor fire forced a preventive evacuation with no injuries or significant damage.
The Moeve Tower was inaugurated in May 2009 and designed by architect Norman Foster. At 248 meters, it is currently one of the tallest buildings in Spain and houses offices not only for its owner Amancio Ortega but also for companies like Amazon and Pérez-Llorca.
After completely controlling the fire, employees were briefly allowed to return to the building to collect their belongings before being instructed to work from home the following day due to the extraordinary circumstances caused by this event.
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