A narrow street near Bayt Naseef in downtown Jeddah, which was partially damaged in fire Sunday. (Okaz photo) JEDDAH: A fire that broke out early Sunday in a house in Jeddah's Historic Area briefly threatened the nearby Bayt Naseef, the area's showcase building and museum. Firefighters were called before dawn to a second floor apartment of a house above a shop where flames had consumed wooden lattices and spread to the third floor and an adjacent building. Despite difficult access to the site through the district's narrow lanes, firemen managed to contain the blaze. The structure remained standing but gutted, with the neighboring property left partially damaged. “Firefighters fought hard to access to the site and get equipment in through the narrow streets, climbing up nearby buildings and an overlooking wall to tackle the fire,” said Abdullah Al-Jiddawi, head of Jeddah Civil Defense. “They managed to contain it and prevent it spreading to other sites.” He said that firefighters were also stationed to protect Bayt Naseef as the area was evacuated. No one was hurt in the incident, and Al-Jiddawi praised locals for their assistance. “Many of them opened up their houses so the firemen could gain better access, and that was of great help in tackling the situation,” he said. A mayoralty official said that the fire effectively meant the loss of the two buildings affected.
