Chris, please find below a report given to National Fire Sprinkler Network by Alan Brinson regarding the fire at Windsor Building Madrid. GL
Windsor Building, Madrid
Late on Saturday 12 February fire broke out on the 21st floor of the 32 storey Windsor Building in the heart of Madrid's financial district. Fortunately only a few night staff were in the building and they were able to escape. Firefighters were unable to prevent the fire spreading through the building but did manage to prevent spread to neighbouring high-rise buildings. Three firefighters were treated in hospital for smoke inhalation.
The 106m tower block is now a ruin. The top storeys have collapsed onto lower storeys and the building is in danger of collapse. Explosives cannot be used to demolish it because it is near to other buildings and there is a network of communication tunnels under the building. A structure will have to be built to demolish the building one floor at a time. This is expected to take six months. 10,000 people are unable to get to work as the area is cordoned off and 600,000 people face transport difficulties in getting to work since three metro lines and several roads are closed.
The Windsor Building was built in the mid 1970s and houses Deloitte & Touche accountants as well as other businesses. According to the owner, Florentino Reyzabal, the fire alarm system worked.
The governor of the Madrid region, Esperanza Aguirre,has given instructions for the immediate creation of a plan for fire prevention and extinguishment in buildings of 10 storeys or more. The Prime Minister, José Luis Zapatero, has announced on Radio Punto that there will be a review of the fire safety of high rise buildings in the capital. A fire sprinkler system would have prevented this disaster.
According to latest reports a sprinkler system was being installed in the Windsor Building but work had not yet reached the 21st floor and the system was not yet commissioned.
The President of the Madrid Community has announced that the high rise fire safety measures will be reviewed and has already publicly called for sprinklers in buildings of more than 8 storeys. It is not yet clear if she was including existing buildings.
Several leading newspapers have reported that the building did not have sprinklers. EuropaPress has quoted the Spanish Trade Association and Network member, Tecnifuego-Aespi, which recommended that sprinklers be installed in high rise buildings. Fernando Vigara of APICI, the Spanish Fire Engineering Association, has appeared on TV where he recommended
that sprinklers be fitted in high rise buildings.
