JEDDAH, 28 April 2004 — A pillar of black smoke towered over the Al-Madloum, near the Souk Al-Bedou in the historic Balad area of Jeddah yesterday afternoon as two floors of an old residential and two adjacent buildings burned out of control.
The fire department, though summoned early, were unable to get close enough to the building with appliances or hoses for some time, as the narrow, twisting alleys of the area proved too much of an obstacle.
Eventually, they gained access to nearby buildings to direct water at the fire, but by that time, two adjacent buildings had caught fire.
After four hours, the fire department had the blaze under control.
An eyewitness said an electrician had been attempting a repair in a junction box in the building, when sparks flew from the cables starting the fire.
With amazing rapidity, he said, the sparks caught on the tinder dry wood of the building and spread upward.
At one point the third and fourth floors of the apartment block as well as the building’s roof were ablaze, together with buildings either side.
Crowds gathered to watch and the police made continuous attempts to disperse them, further hampering the efforts of the fire department. The building, though normally occupied by guest workers, was cleared in time and there were no injuries.
