The first fire broke out at noon in a furnishing shop and spread to four nearby shops in the Prince Miteb Souk in south Jeddah.

The fast-spreading fire posed a serious threat to a nearby fuel station. However, Civil Defense teams brought the fire under control without any loss of life or injuries, except to a Civil Defense officer. The injured officer suffered serious burn and was taken to a nearby hospital after first aid had been given.

A car accessories shop was gutted in Nuzhah district in north Jeddah almost at the same time. From the ground floor of the shop, the fire spread to its warehouse in the basement. A firefighter suffered burns in his hands during efforts to contain the fire. Another Civil Defense officer passed out after breathing thick smoke emitting from the basement of the building.

Spokesman of provincial Civil Defense Maj. Abdul Rahman Al-Ghamdi told Arab News that the causes of the two accidents were being investigated.

It was also reported that a number of women students at King Abdulaziz University left their classes and went home after seeing the thick smoke rising from Prince Miteb Souk and fire trucks rushing to scene.

The students were frightened by the roar of Civil Defense helicopters hovering overhead, director of public relations at King Abdulaziz University Sharie Al-Buqami told Arab News. The university campus is three kilometers from the location of the fire.