Warehouses burn to the ground in Sharjah blaze

The blaze was reported in or close to the National Paints plant close to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road.

SHARJAH , UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JUNE 26 : Major fire broke out in the warehouse area in Sharjah Industrial area close to the National Paints in Sharjah. Civil Defense personals trying to control the fire. ( Pawan Singh / The National ) For News. Story by Nawal Al Ramahi

SHARJAH , UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JUNE 26 : Major fire broke out in the warehouse area in Sharjah Industrial area close to the National Paints in Sharjah. Civil Defense personals trying to control the fire. ( Pawan Singh / The National ) For News. Story by Nawal Al Ramahi

SHARJAH , UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JUNE 26 : Major fire broke out in the warehouse area in Sharjah Industrial area close to the National Paints in Sharjah. ( Pawan Singh / The National ) For News. Story by Nawal Al Ramahi

SHARJAH , UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JUNE 26 : Major fire broke out in the warehouse area in Sharjah Industrial area close to the National Paints in Sharjah. ( Pawan Singh / The National ) For News. Story by Nawal Al Ramahi

SHARJAH , UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JUNE 26 : Major fire broke out in the warehouse area in Sharjah Industrial area close to the National Paints in Sharjah. ( Pawan Singh / The National ) For News. Story by Nawal Al Ramahi

SHARJAH , UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JUNE 26 : Major fire broke out in the warehouse area in Sharjah Industrial area close to the National Paints in Sharjah. ( Pawan Singh / The National ) For News. Story by Nawal Al Ramahi

SHARJAH , UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JUNE 26 : Major fire broke out in the warehouse area in Sharjah Industrial area close to the National Paints in Sharjah. ( Pawan Singh / The National ) For News. Story by Nawal Al Ramahi

SHARJAH // A major fire broke out in a garden furniture warehouse and spread to three other nearby buildings, sending flames into the air and smoke billowing across a busy nearby motorway.

The fire was first reported shortly before 12.30pm and four buildings in the Maliha Road area had burned to the ground within about an hour.

Motorists spotted smoke pouring from the site and travelling low over Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road.

The owner of the warehouse, a Syrian who asked not to be named, was also at the scene but said it was too early to know what started the blaze.

“The hot weather made it a bit difficult to control the fire. However, more than five fire stations from Sharjah, Dubai and Ajman attended and worked to control the fire," said Lieutenant colonel Saeed Al Suwaidi, director of Sharjah civil defence.

Lieutenant colonel Al Suwaidi confirmed that 14 warehouses were affected by the fire.

“The hot weather contributes in making it difficult to control such situations for fire crews,” said Lt Col Al Suwaidi.

"No causalities so have been reported," he said.

Sharjah Civil Defence said the cause of the fire is still under investigation.