Negligence blamed in Naif fires

Civil Defence officials blame a recent spate of fires in the Naif area on the negligence and carelessness of residents.

Residents say the most recent fire yesterday began in a pile of rubbish on a first-floor balcony of their building.

DUBAI // Civil Defence officials have blamed a recent spate of fires in the Naif area on the negligence and carelessness of residents. "There is no evidence to imply the existence of serial faults that have led to the rise in the number of fires in the Naif area, apart from people being careless when it comes to fire hazards and gas canisters," said Major Gen Mahmood Hamad, head of the information and documentation unit at Dubai Civil Defence.

The comment came after another fire erupted yesterday in a three-storey building in Naif where hundreds of residents lived. Everyone escaped unhurt, with panicked residents seen rushing out of their rooms fearing another deadly blaze. Civil Defence reached the building within minutes and everyone was evacuated, witnesses said. "People are throwing garbage, cigarette butts and all kinds of flammable material anywhere without thinking," said a building security guard. The guard said it was lucky that all residents got out alive.

"Being daytime, many were out of their rooms and the fire officials controlled the blaze in less than half an hour," he said. Residents claimed the fire started in an open balcony on the first floor, where residents had dumped all their unwanted baggage and furniture. "I am left with just the clothes I am wearing," said an African resident. "Everything else is destroyed." The building, like many in Naif, was home to single men and women, with dozens living together in one room.

The fire followed Monday's announcement that the municipality would be launching a campaign to clean up the city, including targeting littering and the dumping of large amounts of rubbish onto the streets. The city will target the Naif area first. Naif, home to thousands of Asian, African and Arab expatriates, has witnessed a series of deadly fires this year that have destroyed property worth millions of dirhams. On April 2, at least 183 shops were gutted and two people injured in a fire at the old Naif Souq. On Aug 26 another fire killed 11 men at a traditional villa that had been housing hundreds of men. While investigations continue into the causes of both fires, authorities suggested that negligence was a key reason.

Civil Defence said its biggest challenge was controlling fires in the ever-expanding Al Quoz, Al Qusais and neighbouring industrial areas, where the number of industrial companies and storage warehouses had more than tripled in recent years. "Most fires that take place [happen] in areas where factories and warehouses handle flammable material, but we have been more than capable in controlling and stopping the spreads of such fires," said Major Gen Hamad.

However, residents of Naif said yesterday that fires were commonplace. They blamed some on rubbish dumped behind buildings and cramped quarters. "It is getting increasingly dangerous to live here," said one resident. "There are many buildings which have poor ventilation, wiring and there is flammable material dumped dangerously all around it." Dubai Municipality is making inroads into educating the public with 1,000 requests made to the bulk domestic collection service in three-and-a-half months, it was revealed yesterday. The service was introduced this year for picking up unwanted goods such as furniture, refrigerators and washing machines to avoid people throwing them outside their homes or onto the roads, marring the appearance of the emirate and causing potential hazards, said Eng Abdllah Rafia, Assistant Director General for Environment and Public Health Affairs.

Dubai Municipality's latest campaign, Say YES to a clean Naif, officially launches today and will see senior officials visiting residents and asking them to clean up. The initiative will also target those who spit in public, discard cigarette butts on the ground and hang clothes out to dry on their balconies. Media campaigns have been launched in newspapers and on radio stations, urging residents to help with the campaign.

"This is a good initiative," said another resident. "However, a lot more is needed since the safety of the residents from such fires is still to be addressed." [e-mail] [e-mail]