DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A fire broke out early Monday at a 35-story high-rise in downtown Dubai near the world’s tallest building, racing up the side of the structure in the same way seen in other blazes fuelled by flammable siding material.

A resident at the 8 Boulevard Walk told The Associated Press that the high-rise has cladding that officials planned to replace after a similar blaze tore through an iconic tower on New Year’s Eve in 2015. However, that cladding was not replaced across the entire building, said the resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

Emaar Properties, the giant state-backed developer behind 8 Boulevard Walk and the nearby Burj Khalifa, which towers over the burned high-rise, did not respond to requests for comment about the building’s cladding. Nor did the city-state’s Dubai Media Office.

Dubai Civil Defense later said that all the building’s residents had been safely evacuated without injuries.

Fire investigators could be seen by an AP journalist at the site, looking through balconies and pointing out damage from the blaze. A letter sent by Emaar to tenants of the building said “a thorough investigation is underway” into the blaze and that residents only can be let back in after authorities give the all clear.

The fire raced up one side of the building, while other sides appeared untouched. The damage appeared particularly intense around the fourth floor.

The blaze started around 2:30 am, with housekeepers and building guards racing through its floors to check apartments on each floor, the resident said. Dubai Civil Defense said it “arrived at the scene five minutes after the operations room was alerted of the fire at 3:11 am.”

“A Dubai Civil Defense spokesperson confirmed that Dubai high-rises comply with strict structural and fire safety standards that conform to international codes and regulations,” a later statement from the Dubai Media Office said, without naming the official.

While some types of cladding can be made with fire-resistant material, experts say those that have caught fire in Dubai and elsewhere weren’t designed to meet stricter safety standards and often were put onto buildings without any breaks to slow or halt a possible blaze.

Regulations are now in place for new construction in Dubai regarding the cladding.