Fire crews in Ajman battled a warehouse blaze for two hours on Sunday. Officers from two civil defence stations in the emirate were called into action shortly before 7.30am after fire engulfed a building in Al Jurf Industrial area 1 storing "highly flammable" sponge materials. The blaze gutted the building and sent thick clouds of dark of smoke billowing into the sky. No casualties were reported and the fire was extinguished at about 9.30am. Lt Col Raed Al Zaabi, deputy director of Ajman Civil Defence, said the swift response of the crews involved prevented the fire from spreading and causing further damage. “The teams surrounded the scene to prevent the flames from spreading to other warehouses and factories,” said Lt Col Al Zaabi. “A plan was immediately set to control the fire quickly because of the highly flammable nature of sponge which caused heavy smoke to cover the area.” Officers had to contend with high winds as they brought the fire under control. Lt Col Al Zaabi urged factory and warehouse owners to take care over the materials they store and to carry out regular safety checks.
