Firefighters tackle blaze near Dubai's Mall of the Emirates

Emergency services arrive in six minutes and no casualties reported

A fire broke out in a residential building near Mall of the Emirates in Dubai's Al Barsha area on Tuesday.

Emergency services were at the scene in six minutes, after receiving news of the incident at 2pm, Dubai Media Office reported. The blaze was successfully controlled, with no casualties reported.

"Dubai Civil Defence teams have fully brought under control a fire that broke out today in a residential building in the Al Barsha area," a statement said on X.

"Firefighting teams reached the site within six minutes of receiving the report and immediately carried out evacuation procedures to ensure the safety of all residents. No casualties have been reported. The site will be handed over to authorities following the completion of cooling operations."

Drones sent into action

Dubai Civil Defence deployed cutting-edge Shaheen drones to assist in extinguishing the building blaze.

The advanced drones, designed to fight fires in high-rises up to 200m tall, are equipped with a 1,200-litre tank for water and firefighting foam, enabling rapid and effective aerial support.

In April, the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (Ncema) said the use of drones to extinguish fires will become increasingly common.

Fire Al Barsha. The National

“Drone usage in disaster response is expected to increase twenty-fold by 2028, while 70 per cent of emergency decisions will be AI-supported by 2030,” Dr Saif Al Dhaheri, director of the National Operations Centre at Ncema, said.

Tuesday's blaze was the latest in the densely populated Al Barsha district over the past 12 months.

In May, emergency services were called into action after a gas leak resulted in a late-night fire at a restaurant, also near Mall of the Emirates.

Last December, tenants of an eight-storey building in the area, which was engulfed in flames, recounted how they knocked on neighbours' doors to alert them of the danger, after fire alarms failed to sound.

No one was injured, authorities told The National. Staff at a nearby hotel said that some of the affected residents were moved to their property.

Dubai Civil Defence teams were at the scene within six minutes. Photo: Dubai Media Office

This followed a blaze last October, when residents of an apartment block were evacuated due to a fire in the early hours of the morning.