JEDDAH, 1 February — A huge fire that destroyed five old buildings in the historical area of Harrat Al-Madhloum in downtown Jeddah on Tuesday night did not cause any deaths, officials said, but two residents including a Yemeni woman were injured in the fire that lasted nearly four hours. More than 150 residents, mostly Yemenis and Somalis, had been displaced by the fire.
The fire might have caused a material loss worth millions, according to preliminary estimates. The owner of the buildings, former Jeddah Mayor Dr. Muhammad Saeed Farsi, had spent that SR6 million on the renovation of the buildings, completed only a few weeks ago.
The Civil Defense Department said it was still investigating the reason for the blaze. The fire broke out at about 8.00 p.m. on Tuesday and firefighters took nearly four hours to bring it under control. The blaze was intense due to widespread use of wood in the construction of the buildings.
Col. Muhammad Al-Ghamdi, director of civil defense in Jeddah, told Arab News that his department had sent eight fire force teams and eight rescue units in addition to four support units to the area. Fire force vehicles faced difficulty in reaching the area because the roads in the old city were too narrow.
Brig. Saleh Al-Olayyan, director of Jeddah police, said more than 80 displaced families had been provided shelter. "We have taken steps to ensure their security and protect their properties," he added.
Police had to deploy a large number of officers in the area to ensure smooth flow of traffic. Col. Abdul Aziz Al-Obailan, director of traffic police in Jeddah, said more officers and vehicles were sent in to control traffic as huge crowds obstructed fire-fighting efforts and rescue work.
