DAMMAM: At least 12 fires took place at various schools across the Eastern Province in the past 11 months, said Lt. Col. Mansour Al-Dosary, Civil Defense spokesman in the region.
“These were all minor incidents, which caused no serious injuries or damages,” said Al-Dosary.
“There were no deaths or serious injuries. The fires were mainly caused by electric short-circuits. Civil Defense teams evacuated the schools, and submitted reports to higher authorities after investigations,” he added.
Al-Dosary said the Civil Defense carries out safety checks in schools throughout the year, and takes measures to raise awareness among teachers and students.
“The Civil Defense Directorate holds lectures and distributes pamphlets in schools in the region to enlighten students about fire safety. We also organize fire-safety awareness sessions for teachers, training them how to evacuate students in the event of fire accidents,” he said.
Speaking about a fire yesterday at an intermediate school for boys in the Al-Zihour suburb of Dammam, Al-Dosary said the fire was small and extinguished by the locals before the Civil Defense units arrived.
Commenting on reports of a fire at a girls’ school in the same area, the Civil Defense spokesman said, “A local man saw smoke and called the Civil Defense thinking there was a fire. We later found the smoke was coming from a forklift which was operating close to the school.”
