[BoattyGonm]

This is pretty amazing - a high-rise hotel under construction in Beijing went up like a torch today:

Beijing Hotel fire - iReport.com

[ANCETPYNCTEXT]

I saw that in one of my industry reports this morning. It's actually pretty scary how easily that one went up in flames.

[BoattyGonm]

Good series of shots here, on the site of the German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung:

CCTV in Peking: Feuer neben der Röhre - Bild 1 - sueddeutsche.de

In that article I believe 230 meters was given as the height of the building, which would put it at almost 700 feet or about 70 stories - a *big* building to be totally engulfed in flames.

Scary indeed how totally it was consumed. Presumably it's still burning even now.

[Verger99]

According to Skyscraper Page, it was a Rem Koolhaas-designed Mandarin Oriental, not far from his CCTV Building. A big blemish on his reputation, that's for sure.

It was being finished and due to open soon.

[BWJfEkOB]

Yikes. I warned them about using bamboo as fireproofing.

[gogFloark]

Yikes. I warned them about using bamboo as fireproofing.

You may be closer to the truth than you think....

I suspect a local official skimmed himself some cash off the top and told a few building inspectors not to make note of the cheaper materials. (Well, not bamboo, but something not up to snuff, I'm sure.) Considering that this is a prestige project in the heart of the capital, I would expect that someone will be executed for this.

[Tusanoc]

Well this didnt help either: "The fireworks used were classified as grade "A," making them powerful and dangerous enough that a special permit was needed to set them off downtown.

However, the display's organizers did not obtain such permits and ignored police warnings, CCTV said. Because the building was still under construction, fire fighting systems were not yet functioning, it said."

The Associated Press: China state broadcaster apologizes for hotel fire