A fire Sunday gutted seven furniture workshops in an industrial estate in northern Jeddah and caused great financial losses, said Brig. Gen. Abdullah Al-Jiddawi, director of the Civil Defense in Jeddah. According to eyewitnesses, flames quickly spread to several workshops as furniture, wood and other material fueled the fire and workers tried to save whatever they could salvage. Al-Jiddawi said in a report that 80 percent of the fire was contained and that its circumstances and causes are being investigated. The participation of volunteers who helped extinguish the fire was a spontaneous act on their part and does not reflect a need for more firefighters in the Civil Defense or shortcomings in the organization, he added.
