Fire breaks out in Al Barsha, Dubai

No casualties reported after blaze at residential building is brought under control

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  Fire broke out at a residential building in the Al Barsha area of Dubai on Friday. All photos: Pawan Singh / The National

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  Residents reported seeing smoke in an area near Barsha 1.

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  Dubai Civil Defence sent fire crews to the scene.

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  Residents of Al Salam Tower and nearby buildings were evacuated.

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  A crane was used to assist firefighters in extinguishing the flames.

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  Dubai Civil Defence personnel try to quell the fire.

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  People watch from the streets nearby.

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  A section of the high-rise was gutted.

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  No casualties were reported.

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  A Dubai Police helicopter circles the area.

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  The cause of the fire had not been established by Friday afternoon.

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  Emergency services brought the blaze under control 'within 14 minutes'.

A large fire broke out at a residential building in Al Barsha, Dubai, on Friday.

Several residents reported seeing smoke near Barsha 1, just off the D63.

Dubai Civil Defence on Twitter said its crews brought the blaze under control "within 14 minutes".

They were alerted to the fire at 1.24pm and arrived at the scene four minutes later.

A picture released by the civil defence showed a crane being used to assist firefighters in extinguishing the flames.

No casualties were reported.

An investigation will be carried out to determine the cause of the fire.

Residents of the tower were moved out and nearby buildings were evacuated as firefighters contained the blaze.

A Dubai Police helicopter circled overhead as an emergency response was put into action.

Streets surrounding the building were cordoned off as the cooling down of the building continued.

At about 3.30pm, a number of civil defence personnel were seen rescuing three residents from a high-floor balcony using a cherry picker.

Located four floors from the top, the residents seemed calm and their apartment appeared to be free of smoke damage, despite nearby apartments showing evidence of a fire.

A father-of-three who was standing on a street nearby with suitcases said his family was evacuated from the Abidos Hotel Apartments, located close to the burning building, as a safety precaution.

“We could smell the smoke so I went down to reception to ask what had happened and the staff advised us to to grab our belongings and leave,” he said.

“The building I am staying in with my family was not the building that was on fire but they evacuated us as a precaution.

“The fire looks under control now.”

A second passerby said he walked closer to the building as he could see smoke billowing in the distance.