Huge Ajman fire fueled by welding materials, plastic in popular market: top official

CAIRO – 6 August 2020: A huge fire that broke out at a popular market in the UAE’s Emirate of Ajman is believed to be caused or at least fueled by welding materials held inside a store without a permit, Emirati Al-Bayan quoted a top civil defense official as saying.

However, Emirati media reported that an investigation into the cause of the fire is still ongoing. The fire did not cause any casualties.

The horrible fire on Wednesday spread across an area of 100,000 square feet, official Obaid Al-Zaabi said, adding that the civil defense teams managed to put out the fire in a record time.

Zaabi said technology helped authorities to follow up on the fire, through photos taken by a drone.

The Ajman market has been closed for four months over coronavirus, but those taking care of maintenance work in the market illegally kept welding materials inside a store, which caused the whole market to be on fire, Zaabi said, adding that plastic materials and coal also fueled the fire.

Director-general of Ajman’s civil defence Abdulaziz Al Shamsi said the fire destroyed as many as 125 shops in the popular market, Emirati The National reported.

The fire was controlled by around 100 firefighters after it started at the so-called Iranian market in the new industrial area in the Emirate.

Photos from yesterday's fire: