KUWAIT: Firefighters tackle a blaze in a patrol tanker which turned over in front of 360 mall on Sunday.

KUWAIT: Four teams of firefighters put out a fire in a patrol tanker which turned over before iftar time in front of 360 mall on Sunday, Kuwait Fire Service Directorate (KFSD) said. In a statement, KFSD's Public relations said the truck driver was rescued and had light injuries, and was transferred to hospital. The statement added that rescue teams were able to stop the spread of fire to other areas, including sewers. The statement said four teams from Farwaniya, Sabhan, Mubarak Al-Kabeer, and KFSD support team stations joined efforts to fight the blaze.

Separately, KFSD announced that a huge fire broke out Sunday in a house in Yarmouk, where three people (two women and a man) suffered from smoke inhalation and were treated by paramedics onsite. The department explained that on receiving a report about the fire and people trapped by the flames, firemen from Farwaniya and Shuwaikh industrial area rushed to the scene, where they disconnected power from the three-storey building before fighting the fire on the ground floor.

Meanwhile, KFSD Public Relations and Media Manager Col Khalil Al-Amir warned of an increase in 'unfortunate incidents' during Ramadan and urged people not to neglect safety precautions in their homes, especially in kitchens, where they should regularly check gas fittings and stoves to makes sure there are no leaks. Amir also advised the public to disconnect the gas after use and not operate too many electrical appliances from one socket. He also highlighted the need to clean exhaust fans and chimneys. Amir warned that using burning charcoal for incense or making tea and coffee may cause fires. He also stressed the need to install smoke detectors in bedrooms, living rooms, corridors and outside kitchens, noting that smoke alarms use batteries and are available everywhere at reasonable prices.

Several fires were reported around Kuwait since the beginning of Ramadan, coinciding with the noticeable increase in temperatures. The latest of those fires was reported this past weekend when a blaze burned 5,000 square meters of property at a 100,000-square-meter farm near Abdullah Al-Mubarak. Before that, a huge blaze at the Hadiya co-op society left great property damage while two people were treated from smoke inhalation.

By Hanan Al-Saadoun