Fifteen shops, two cars and four rooms were damaged when a fire broke out in a mechanic shops complex in Umm Al Ramool area opposite Dubai Festival City on Tuesday morning. A Civil Defence spokesperson said they received a call about the fire at 5.58am. “No one was injured. The fire has been brought under control and the cooling stage started at 8.44am,” he said.
The commander of the firefighting operation said the fire started at a paint and body workshop in the left corner of the complex, and spread to the right damaging another 14 shops.
“The fire has been completely extinguished, but we’re here overseeing the cooling process to ensure the fire does not erupt again,” he said.
Civil Defence crews from Al Rashidiya, Al Ghusais, Al Quoz, Port Saeed and Al Karama fire stations took part in the firefighting efforts using eight pumps and other specialist tenders.
The manager of the shop where the fire started said someone saw the fire and called him at 6am.
“There was no one in the shop, so, thankfully, no one was injured. The shop is completely damaged, and so were the two cars in the shop,” he said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation but is believed to have started as a result of a short circuit.
Images courtesy of Atiq ur Rehman/Gulf News
About the Author
Neil Wallington is a former British Chief Fire Officer, a Past International President of the Institution of Fire Engineers, and a holder of the Queen’s Commendation for Brave Conduct. He is the author of 17 books on the work of the fire service, and acts as a consultant with extensive experience in the Gulf on a range of projects.
