Firefighters evacuate a pilgrim from an apartment building in Makkah on Thursday.Nada Al-Maddah and Zain Al-Abideen Khaled Saudi Gazette JEDDAH/MAKKAH — Firefighters from Makkah, Jeddah and Madinah Makkah Civil Defense evacuated hundreds of people after a fire broke out in an apartment building in Makkah and several warehouses caught on fire in Jeddah on Thursday. In Madinah, firefighters contained a blaze that engulfed two abandoned date farms. In Makkah, more than 100 pilgrims from Egypt were evacuated when an air conditioning unit caught on fire in an apartment building they were housed in. Five firefighting teams safely evacuated the pilgrims and prevented the blaze from spreading to nearby buildings. Preliminary investigations showed that the fire was the result of a short circuit. Five pilgrims were treated for smoke inhalation. Meanwhile a fire broke out in 15 warehouses on Jeddah Al-Iskan St. 12 firefighting teams from the Civil Defense battled the blaze for hours to prevent it from spreading beyond the 10,000 square meter industrial area. According to Maj. Gen. Abdullah Jedawai, Director of Jeddah Civil Defense, the fire was perilously close to engulfing a warehouse containing highly flammable paints. “The firefighters risked their lives by creating a barrier to prevent the paints from catching on fire." One firefighter was wounded during the operation and was treated by rescue teams on site. In Madinah, two abandoned date farms in Maghera village, Al-Ula, caught on fire. Firefighters from the village were dispatched to the location and successfully doused the fire. Local residents assisted the firefighters by supplying the rescuers with water from privately-owned tankers. No one was injured during the fire and the Civil Defense has yet to determine the cause of the fire.
