A massive fire ripped through a restaurant in the Riyadh’s Olayya district early Thursday, causing huge property losses.

Describing it as a “massive fire,” eyewitnesses near the site told Arab News that the building was evacuated while firefighters from the Civil Defense and Red Crescent contained the huge blaze engulfing the eatery.

It was locals who had called the Civil Defense for assistance after noticing the smoke coming out of the Burj Al-Hammam resturant.

The fire has been attributed to a short circuit in the restaurant building.

Flames continued to tear through the building for about an hour, said eyewitnesses, while the burning scent of goods could be smelled up to few kilometers away.

Locals in the Wazarat district, about five km from the site, stood on rooftops to witness the huge flames.

“I thought there was a short circuit or something burning in my house when I smelled the strong smell and checked my building properly, Perwaiz Khan, one of the district’s residents, told Arab News.

“When I didn’t find anything, I thought it must be in the building next door, but still, we found nothing. I then climbed to the rooftop and saw the flames rising from a restaurant building. The fumes enveloped the area’s skyline.”

“The rescue team immediately rushed to the site and began dousing the flames,” Maj. Mohammed Al-Hamadi, Civil Defense spokesman, told Arab News.

“Thankfully, there was no loss of life or serious injuries in the blaze, as the situation had been promptly brought under control with the help rescue teams.”

The Civil Defense has launched an investigation to ascertain the cause of the fire.