MAKKAH, 19 January 2008 — About 19 of 400 warehouses situated along Haj Street were destroyed on Thursday night when a massive fire hit the area while three civil defense officers were hurt while trying to put out the fire.
The Saudi Civil Defense said police reported the fire at 11:40 p.m. The department then deployed 24 teams supported by two teams each from Jeddah and Taif and 100 water tankers.
The fire broke out a warehouse Nos. 6 and 7, according to Lt. Col. Ali Al-Muntashri, spokesman of the department. He said some of the water tankers participating in the fire-fighting operation belonged to citizens.
“The fire had gutted 19 warehouses completely,” Muntashri told Arab News, adding that they were spread on an area of 3,900 square meters.
He said the two warehouses where the fire first broke out included cars, wood, household furniture, sponge and iron. He said timely action by the department prevented the fire from spreading to other warehouses in the area.
Muntashri did not rule out any criminal motive behind the fire. However, he said investigation into the fire was still ongoing to determine the reasons behind the incident.
A three-member panel comprising representatives from the civil defense, Commerce Ministry and the chamber of commerce and industry will meet shortly to estimate the losses.
Dr. Ayman Niazi, director of emergency and safety at the Health Affairs Department in Makkah, said his department had sent four first aid teams to the fire site, adding that they provided necessary treatment to the three officers who fell unconscious after inhaling smoke while fighting fire.
