Sharjah: Two warehouses went up in flames in Sharjah Industrial Area No 13 requiring firefighters to battle the blaze well into the morning on Thursday.
Both commercial enterprises were gutted due to heavy flames and smoke, authorities told Gulf News.
There were no casualties reported.
Flames licked the night sky and could be seen from kilometres away while firefighters worked to douse the flames until well past dawn.
Brigadier Abdullah Al Suwaidi, Director-General of Sharjah Civil Defence Department, told Gulf News that the fire broke out at the warehouse complex around 10pm on Wednesday.
Thick, black smoke could be seen billowing from the ruins as firefighters from Sharjah, Dubai, Ajman as well as Sharjah Municipality water tankers, responded to battle the flames.
They worked for eight hours to bring the fire under control.
Firefighters’ efforts ended on Thursday at around 6.30am
Brigadier Al Suwaidi described the fire as an advanced one as the two warehouses contained flammable materials — stationery and gas lighters.
Firefighters prevented the fire from spreading to nearby warehouses and shops, Brigadier Al Suwaidi said, adding the fire could have been much bigger if it had not been contained.
The site has been handed over to forensic experts.
Police are conducting an investigation to establish the cause of the fire. Early investigation suggests the owner of the two warehouses may have been in violation of safety rules in storing his goods, Brigadier Al Suwaidi said.
He also pointed out that all industrial areas lack infrastructure which has forced firefighters to seek help from neighbouring emirates in such cases.
Authorities are working to find a solution for the problem to help douse fires earlier in future.
Brigadier Al Suwaidi said that the number of fires in industrial areas have decreased in recent years due to inspections conducted by civil defence staff.
