Sharjah: A large fire broke out at a Sharjah warehouse in the early hours of Sunday morning, destroying the building and six nearby shops.
Thick, black smoke was visible for several kilometres as the warehouse in Industrial Area 3 burned.
The fire completely destroyed the warehouse, which was used as a place to wash cars and store tyres.
Colonel Khalid Bin Kanoon, acting Director-General of Sharjah Civil Defence, told Gulf News that the blaze broke out at around 4:15am.
Firefighters from Dubai and Ajman worked to bring the fire under control in six hours.
There were no reported casualties and authorities are investigating what caused the fire.
The incident caused a traffic tailback during the morning rush hour as motorists slowed down to watch the burning warehouse.
The Sharjah Civil Defence has reported an increase in fire incidents during the summer period from May to September.
Authorities have urged owners of industrial and commercial premises to follow safety measures to prevent such incidents.
