Write Comment     |     E-Mail To a Friend     |     Facebook     |     Twitter     |     Print

Update: The Dubai Civil Defence team has successfully contained fire which erupted at the boats on Deira Creek today afternoon.

An official said the fire was brought under control within just two and a half hours by the civil defence teams.

Quoting Dubai Customs, Dubai Media office tweeted that trade movement on the Creek is back to normal.

Prompt action by the civil defence teams helped bring the fire under control in record time.

Thanks to quick response by the civil defence and rescue teams, there was no loss of life in the fire.

Speaking to Emirates 24l7, Lt Col Ali Al Mutawa, Director of Operations Department at Dubai Civil Defence (DCD), stated it took a little over two hours to bring the fire under control.

He continued: "One of the two‎ boats was a wooden dhow, while the other was fibre glass, which required a special type of foam to contain.

"We had four marine boats and three rescue boats trying to contain the fire, but it spread so fast that it reached the fuel tank of the boat.

"The intense heat also made it difficult for firefighters, with the densely packed area causing the blaze to spread across the platform with a lot of the cargo also catching fire."

Al Mutawa added the cargo was mainly electrical appliances, along with food items and other miscellaneous things.

Meanwhile, Col Rashid bin Massam Al Buflaseh, DCD General Director Office Manager, said: "The electric items, such as refrigerators and washing machines had compressors that made the situation even more hazardous."

Civil Defence confirmed three team members were treated for dehydration, while one person from the boat was sent to Rashid Hospital for further treatment.

The boats were bound for Iran.

Earlier story

A number of dhows were on fire in Deira Creek on Monday afternoon.

Eyewitnesses told Emirates 24l7 that the fire erupted at around 3pm and apparently three to four boats were on fire at the time of writing this news.

As many as 10 civil defence and four rescue vehicles were on the scene queuing along the Creek to put out the blaze and more Civil Denfence vehicles were seen arriving to fight the blaze.

A Civil Defence official said they received call at 3.04pm and five teams were immediately dispatched to combat the blaze which is still burning.

The black smoke billowing from the burning dhows can be seen as far as from Sheikh Zayed Road.

Motorists have been advised to avoid Al Maktoum Bridge crossing due to heavy traffic.

Eyewitnesses told this website that two boats with a lot of supplies – mainly food items such as rice, chasews etc – caught fire and cargo can be seen floating in the sea.

According to eyewitnesses, the fire began in an Iranian carrier that suffered a possible short-ciruit in the air-conditioning unit on the dhow and then the fire spread as there was dry wood on the docks. There was also oil onboard the dhows.