No casualties were reported during the firefighting operation. The fire was extinguished before midnight. Massive, billowing clouds of black smoke could be seen from the Haramain Expressway and traffic was snarled in the areas around the site of the fire.

Officials said the fire started in a warehouse containing paper products. The cause of the fire was unknown. Jeddah Civil Defense spokesman Capt. Abdullah Al-Amri said 14 firefighting teams rushed to the location.

The firefighters managed to stop the fire spreading to the nearby buildings, including a wedding hall. Several buildings around the fire had to be evacuated. Firefighting foam was used to prevent the flames from spreading.