Fire engulfs UAE villa, 66 people evacuated

Ras Al Khaimah - The fire was put under control but large portions of the five-bedroom villa were destroyed.

Sixty-six people in two residential compounds in Ras Al Khaimah were evacuated on Tuesday afternoon, when a massive fire erupted in a villa in the Barirat neighbourhood. No casualties were reported.
Brigadier Mohammed Abdullah Al Zaabi, director of the Ras Al Khaimah civil defence department, said: "The blaze damaged four passports, cash, jewellery, watches, several computers and some other belongings at the villa."
The central operations room was alerted of the fire at 1.55pm, and firefighters and rescue teams were immediately deployed.
The site was cordoned off and, as a precautionary measure, all 66 residents in the area were evacuated.
The fire was put under control but large portions of the five-bedroom villa were destroyed, Brig Al Zaabi said.
Authorities took over the case and an investigation was launched to determine the cause of the incident.
Brig Al Zaabi reminded residents that in such cases, "one must never enter a fire site to save belongings, no matter how precious they may be".
"The flames and heavy smoke pose grave risks to people's lives. Only  well-trained firefighters can handle these incidents," he said.
ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com

• Ras Al Khaimah