Three residents in Sharjah successfully extinguished a fierce apartment fire in the Al Mamzar area, preventing a potential major disaster.
Abdullah Mohammed Ali Al-Maleji, aged 30, an employee at Americana Food Company, was on his fourth-floor balcony talking to his wife when he heard someone cry out.
“I heard shouts of ‘Fire! Fire!’” he recounted to Khaleej Times. He looked up to see thick smoke pouring from a balcony three floors above.
Stay informed with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
Al-Maleji immediately called the police, who confirmed they were already en route. He quickly ran up the stairs instead of taking the elevator for safety reasons. His flatmate, Khaled Mohammed Al-Baili, joined him to assist.
On the seventh floor, they found their neighbour, Abdulrahman Al-Husaini, desperately trying to control the fire with a bucket of water. The fire, starting on the balcony, had spread to nearby mattresses, with the fibre materials intensifying the flames.
Realizing the bucket wasn’t enough, Al-Maleji made a swift decision. “I asked where the fire hose was. He pointed to the hallway near the elevator,” Al-Maleji recalled. “I grabbed it and instructed Abdulrahman to turn on the water. Together, we pulled the hose into the apartment.”
As Al-Maleji tackled the flames with the hose, Abdulrahman and Khaled moved flammable items like curtains, furniture, and electrical cables away from the fire to prevent it from spreading.
Their teamwork was critical in controlling the blaze. Within minutes, they had the fire under control.
Police officers arrived, encouraging them to keep up their efforts. “He told me to continue the water flow until Civil Defence arrived,” Al-Maleji said. “But thankfully, we had already extinguished it.” The officer advised him to keep wetting the walls and surfaces, which were still hot.
By the time the Civil Defence team arrived, the fire was completely out. Firefighters inspected and secured the area, confirming no further action was necessary.
Abdulrahman suffered a minor hand injury but was treated on the scene and confirmed to be well.
The next day, all three men were honoured by the Sharjah Civil Defence Authority. Brigadier General Yousef Harmoul Al Shamsi presented them with certificates for their bravery and responsibility, sharing photos of the ceremony on social media platform X.
Reflecting on the recognition, Al-Maleji expressed deep pride and gratitude. “It’s an indescribable feeling. I felt pride, honour, and appreciation,” he said.
“I am elated. I will cherish this for life. The respect and appreciation from the authorities and people of Sharjah and the UAE are remarkable. This is what we always know about the Emirates, particularly Sharjah and its leaders.”
Abdulrahman added, “I extend my gratitude to the ambulance, civil defence, and Sharjah police.”
“Being honoured is truly wonderful, especially from someone like Brigadier General Yousef Harmoul Al Shamsi. We also send our greetings and love to Sheikh Dr Sultan Al Qasimi,” he said.
