Dubai: A cosmetics warehouse was gutted while another one storing electronic goods was partly damaged in an early morning blaze at a major warehouse enclave in Al Ghusais on Wednesday.
According to the members of the security team on site, the fire started at around 8am at the cosmetics warehouse. The fire alarm went off at 8.06am.
“As usual I came in around 8am and I was doing my rounds. Soon the alarm went off. Since we have instances of false alarms occasionally, I didn’t call Civil Defence immediately, but in the next few minutes I saw smoke and by that time the Civil Defence was already alerted through the auto system we have in place,” said a security guard on duty.
Around half a dozen firefighting vehicles were pressed into service and the fire was put out around 12 noon, after controlling it from from spreading to other warehouses. No casualties have been reported.
“Since the fire started early in the morning, there were no workers inside. People were just starting to come and thankfully no one has been hurt,” said John, who works in one of the warehouses inside the Al Mulla warehouse compound that has a total of 187 warehouses.
According to another security guard, who was on duty since early morning, the fire alarm at the warehouse where the fire started didn’t go off, instead the alarm from the neighbouring warehouse went off after the smoke entered from the other side.
“I heard the alarm and rushed to the spot. The door of the cosmetics warehouse was on fire and smoke was coming out from the adjoining warehouse as well. We immediately started to put the fire out and within minutes the fire fighters arrived,” said a security guard on conditions of anonymity.
Owner of the electronics warehouse, which has been partly damaged, who also wished not to be named said: “I don’t know how much damage the fire has caused, but I hope it is not much. The firefighters did a commendable job to contain the blaze otherwise it would have engulfed our entire warehouse.”
Smoke also entered two other warehouse containing rice and garments, but no damage has been reported from these warehouses.A drone was seen in operation to ascertain the state of fire apart from the several tanks and cranes that were at work.The cause of the fire has not been known yet.
Under control
According to the Civil Defense Authorities, firefighters were quick to control the fire in Al Qusais before it spread to adjacent areas.
Though the official value of the scorched goods have not been estimated yet, civil defense assured that no human casualties resulted from the fire. Investigations are underway to determine the cause that gutted the cosmetics warehouse.
Brigadier Ahmad Obaid Al Sayegh, Acting Director of Dubai Civil Defence, said the warehouse contained a lot of inflammable products. “Firefighters used foam to quell the flames,” he said, “procedures to cool the warehouse then took place after the fire was put out.”
Brig. Al Sayegh noted that three civil defense teams were dispatched to control the fire when it was reported on Wednesday morning.
“The operations room received reports about the Al Qusais fire at about 9.30am,” he said, “three teams of firefighters were immediately dispatched to put an end to the blaze.”
