The early onset of the fire at Marina Pinnacle tower in Dubai on June 13 2025. LORELA BALANON/EXPAT MEDIA

A Filipina mother and her baby were among those rescued from the 65th floor of Marina Pinnacle after a fire broke out in the high-rise tower in Dubai Marina on Friday night (June 13). Cooling operations were still underway on Saturday afternoon (June 14). As first reported by Expat Media, the fire, which started at around 10pm, engulfed the upper floors of Marina Pinnacle—also known as Tiger Tower—a 73-storey residential skyscraper with 748 units. The Dubai Civil Defence said it brought the blaze under control in six hours. Authorities confirmed that all 3,820 evacuated residents were safe and that there were no casualties. Following Expat Media’s breaking news report, one of the tower’s Filipina residents shared her harrowing experience, saying her family was trapped on the 65th floor. "I'm still in shock. Imagine yourself hugging your 9-month-old baby while the building is on fire," Rose (not her real name) told Expat Media. “Thank God we’re safe. Kudos to the firefighter who rescued us,” she said in Filipino. “We had no idea a fire had already started in the building because we didn’t hear any alarm. Someone from a neighbouring apartment knocked on our door to alert us,” she added. By the time they exited their apartment, the hallway was already filled with thick smoke. “A woman attempted to exit but turned back because of heavy smoke. They called police and we were all told to stay in the balcony. Later, a firefighter reached our apartment and escorted us out,” she said. “The fear while holding on to your baby while you don’t know what’s going to happen next... The fire started on the 60th floor, and we were on the 65th. We were so lucky. If it reached higher, I might have just jumped off the building than see my baby burn,” she said. Witnesses told Expat Media that smoke and flames were seen billowing from the tower’s upper floors at around 10pm. Emergency crews arrived quickly, evacuating the building and extinguishing the fire. By 11am on Saturday, smoke was still seen rising from the building. The extent of damage is still under assessment. Authorities are also coordinating with the developer to provide temporary accommodations for displaced residents. ICA/CAM/Expat Media
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