Dubai: Electric malfunction behind massive showroom fire that damaged 60 cars

An electric malfunction in a car showroom caused the massive fire that damaged 60 cars in Dubai last September, a police investigation has found.

The fire broke out in a vehicle showroom complex in Ras Al Khor before spreading across nine other facilities on September 28. Firefighters reached the site within six minutes, and Dubai Police confirmed that the blaze had caused no injuries.

A report by Dubai police's fire section at the General Department of Forensic Science and Criminology revealed that the blaze started in one car due to a malfunction in the main electrical circuit distribution unit.

Captain Eng Mohammed Saeed bin Abid, head of the fire department, said the lack of distance between the parked cars was the reason the blaze flared up quickly, causing the damage.

Recommendations have been submitted to relevant authorities on how vehicles should be parked and determine the distances between them to avoid future damages on such a scale.

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The blaze was brought under control within 38 minutes, thanks to the firefighters from Dubai Civil Defence's Nad Al Sheba station who were dispatched immediately after receiving a fire report in the operations room.

Teams from Al Qusais and Port Saeed stations were also dispatched to help manage the blaze, alongside a backup team from Al Rashidiya station.

After the cooling operations, it was reported that the blaze had affected 60 cars in 10 showrooms.

sherouk@khaleejtimes.com

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