Residents and security officials at the scene of the fatal fire in Buraidah. — Okaz photo Okaz/Saudi Gazette
RIYADH – Five children from the same family died while the mother, a girl and two Civil Defense men sustained injuries in a house fire at dawn Friday in the Huwailan District in western Buraidah, officials said. Preliminary investigations showed that the fire broke out in the hall and the family members tried to climb to the roof, but the door was locked and they could not open it, officials said. They suffered asphyxiation from the fire and the children died on the staircase, officials added. Six Civil Defense teams, six Red Crescent teams, security patrols and traffic police dealt with the incident, along with a team from Al-Qassim Health Affairs and a representative of the mayoralty, according to officials. In Riyadh, no casualties were reported in two huge fires that broke out Thursday in a factory for recycling tires and in a carpentry workshop in the eastern part of the city, officials said. The Civil Defense controlled both blazes with the help of 46 teams, according to officials. Emergency workers controlled a fire that broke out in an 800 sq. meter tire-recycling factory on Al-Kharj Road in the Al-Sali District, said Capt. Muhammad Al-Tamimi, Civil Defense spokesman. A heap of old tires fueled the raging fire, which was fully extinguished on Friday, he added. Captain Al-Tamimi said firefighters also controlled the fire in carpentry workshops in the Al-Sinaia District. The fire spread from the second floor, a 250 sq. meter area, to an adjacent carpentry workshop of the same size, he added. Captain Al-Tamimi said three firefighting teams, two firefighting units, four rescue squads, one ambulance crew, two evacuation teams and support services responded to the blaze and workers surrounded the fire and kept it from spreading. He confirmed that investigations are ongoing and stressed the need for officials in such factories, workshops and warehouses to monitor them, especially during times with no activity, particularly in the mornings during Ramadan. He emphasized compliance with safety and preventive measures to protect lives and property.s __
