RIYADH: A thick column of black smoke spewed over the skies and bellowed eastward off Dabbab Street here at the weekend. But the exact causes of the fire have not yet been explained. The fire attracted the attention of curious onlookers and eye-witnesses said a fire broke out in the open ground adjacent to the football field used by children of the district. It could be due to soaring day temperatures, some of them said. Abdullah, a Palestinian resident of the area, said the soaring day temperatures reaching 42 degrees Celsius could be the reason for the fire. He said the area is littered with household items that include electrical items such as refrigerators and airconditioners that contain Freon gas, enough to ignite and burn the debris. However, others believed that it would be child's play, because the area has attracted a number of children that rummage in the household items thrown in the open ground, used as scrape yard for the past several days. Haroon Rashid, a Bangladeshi watchman of a building in the area, said some people, mostly teenaged children who visit the scrape yard to pick things of their choice from the rubble could have sparked the fire. “I have seen a number of times children rummaging through the debris that include thrown away household electrical items and other furniture sometimes in good usable condition that they sell in the second hand market and make money,” he said. Column of black smoke bellowing toward east of the city could be seen several miles away. Umar Abdullah, a Saudi, said he came to see the sight of the fire from the neighboring Olaya District fearing for a huge mishap when torching sun rays are tormenting the people. A team of firefighters doused the fire before it could engulf the surrounding areas. No casualties were reported, however.
