Fire fighters in Sharjah tackle twin blazes

Two warehouses and a diesel tanker were destroyed in two separate fires in the emirate.

Fire crews putting out a fire at a diesel depot in Hamriya Free Zone, Sharjah. Yasin Kakande / The National

SHARJAH // Firefighters tackled two large blazes that started within an hour of each other, Civil Defence officials said.

The first destroyed two warehouses filled with aluminium and furniture in Industrial Area 3.

It started about 11am and took firefighters almost two hours to bring under control, said Brig Abdullah Al Suwaidi, director general of Sharjah Civil Defence.

Thick smoke could be seen as far away as Al Qusais in Dubai and traffic on nearby roads was diverted to enable fire crews easy access to the scene.

The second blaze destroyed a diesel tanker in the Hamriya Free Zone. The fire started about noon and was put out in less than an hour.

Brig Al Suwaidi said there were no casualties at either of the fires. Officers from Sharjah CID were due to visit both scenes today to determine what started the fires.

Sharjah Civil Defence reiterated its call for factories and businesses, especially in industrial areas, to strictly observe rules concerning fire safety.