DAMMAM, 12 March — It was a testing time for the Civil Defense Department here on Sunday when fires broke out in five different places in the city.
In all of the five incidents, one Pakistani died and a number of firefighters suffered smoke-related injuries.
According to Civil Defense officials, the first fire broke out in a car in Dammam Industrial Area II and within minutes fire engines reached the scene and extinguished it.
In the second incident, firefighters had to rush to a house near Madinat Al-Ummal, where shrubs and dry plants had caught fire. It was feared that the fire might spread to adjacent houses. The Civil Defense personnel immediately contained it, although it took some time before the fire was put out completely.
A similar fire broke out in Haya A-Amamra and there, too, the Civil Defense reached the scene 13 minutes after the accident. There was no loss of life or damage to property in this incident.
Another fire broke out in a portable cabin near the Arab News office on King Saud Street, and the firefighters reached the scene within three minutes. Office records and files were destroyed in the blaze, but there were no injuries.
In Khalidiya district, one Pakistani, 37, died when his house caught fire. The Civil Defense authorities reached the scene within minutes but could not save the victim.
