Abbco tower blaze: How Sharjah raced against the clock to put out the fire

The fire that ripped through the 49-storey Abbco Tower-all the way to the upper floors-was a terrifying sight for many. But behind the scenes of a high-rise on fire and debris flying about were teams, neighbours, and friends who raced against the clock, moved with precision, and worked together. By the time the blaze went out - everyone was safe, zero casualties.
Here's how Sharjah fought the fire, as told by Col Sami Al Naqbi of the emirate's police.
9.04pm: Police got the call
As soon as Sharjah's civil defence team was alerted to the fire, the firefighters- who are always on standby - started moving. Fourteen teams from the headquarters, Muwailih, Samnan, Al Nahda and other stations were dispatched. Fire trucks got on the move, sirens began wailing. And in about six minutes, they were at Abbco Tower.
9.10pm: Firefighters arrived
The Sharjah Civil Defence has been working hard to improve their response time, increasing the number of fire stations across the emirate. While the target is to reach an incident site at 5.5 minutes, they were able to reach Abbco at 6 minutes.
When they arrived, flames had been spreading rapidly. But because residents quickly dialled the emergency hotline, the authorities were able to save the tenants, as well as their neighbours.
"In many cases, people try to put out the fire themselves and delay calling the Civil Defence, which is dangerous and causes causalities and loss of properties," Al Naqbi said.
Evacuations started right away. Police cordoned off the area and drones were flown to ensure that there would be no one left behind.
"The two drones operated by the smart patrol also provided firefighters with a clear picture of what was happening inside the building," Col Al Naqbi said.
9.15: Teams began putting out the fire
While some were focused on assisting residents as they head out the building, other teams started putting out the fire from the lower floors.
9.20pm: Everyone evacuated
In 10 minutes, the evacuation was completed.
The moment firefighters were sure that all tenants were already outside, they began controlling the fire using a chemical foam, the best solution used to extinguish flames caused by highly flammable substances.
11.55pm: Fire out
Nearly three hours later, fire out was declared and the site was handed over to the police for investigation.
Cooling operations started at 12am and continued till 6am the next day.
What happened to residents?
Five buses were used to transport the tower's tenants to two hotels in Sharjah, said Major-General Saif Al Zari Al Shamsi, Commander-in-Chief of the emirate's police.
Residents were also provided with food and water and were asked to stay in the hotels, until the probe is completed and the safety of the building is ensured.
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com  

• Sharjah