DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A towering inferno that engulfed a 63-story luxury hotel in Dubai on New Year’s Eve still smoldered through the first day of 2016 as firefighters worked to douse its embers on Friday.

Authorities said they were still working to determine the cause of the fire that erupted before the city’s fireworks extravaganza and raced through the Address Downtown, one of the most upscale hotels and residences in Dubai. It came after a series of fires striking the towers that provide this megacity its futuristic skyline.

Firefighters spray water on a fire burning in the Address Downtown skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Friday. The blaze’s cause is under investigation. The Associated Press

Smoke pours from a 63-floor skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Friday. The blaze began Thursday night before Dubai’s annual New Year’s Eve fireworks show near the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. which sits nearby. The Associated Press

Dubai officials said only 14 people suffered minor injuries in evacuating the building late Thursday night, but the fire raised new questions about building safety for those living in the United Arab Emirates.

The Address would have a prime spot for viewing the midnight fireworks display, centered at the nearby Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. The Address boasts a luxury hotel with nearly 200 rooms, along with more than 600 residential units.

The fire started around 9:30 p.m. Thursday, racing up the sides of the building. Still authorities went ahead with the fireworks show.

On Friday morning, Dubai firefighters largely watched the fire from the ground, unable at one point to use a water hose on a ladder truck.

By the afternoon, the blaze had largely died down, but small fires were still ,sending smoke into the air.

The Civil Defense said “cooling procedures” were still underway Friday, and that the investigation was underway into the cause.

Related Stories