Three Sharjah residents successfully extinguished a raging apartment fire in Sharjah's Al Mamzar, preventing what could have been a major disaster.

Abdullah Mohammed Ali Al-Maleji, a 30-year-old employee at Americana Food Company, was talking to his wife on his fourth-floor balcony when he heard someone shouting.

“I heard someone shouting 'Fire! Fire!'” he told Khaleej Times. Looking up, he saw thick smoke billowing from a balcony three floors above.

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Without hesitation, Al-Maleji called the police, who confirmed they had already received a report and were on their way. He then rushed up the stairs, deliberately avoiding the elevator as a safety precaution. His flatmate, Khaled Mohammed Al-Baili, followed him up to help.

On the seventh floor, they found their neighbour, Abdulrahman Al-Husaini, frantically trying to douse the flames with a bucket of water. The fire had started on the balcony and had quickly spread to nearby mattresses. The fibre material of the mattresses accelerated the blaze, creating a dangerous situation.

Realising the bucket was no match for the growing inferno, Al-Maleji made a critical decision.“I asked him where the fire hose was. He pointed to the hallway near the elevator,” Al-Maleji recounted.“I grabbed it and told Abdulrahman to turn on the water. We worked together to pull the hose into the apartment.”

While Al-Maleji battled the flames with the fire hose, Abdulrahman and Khaled worked together to move flammable items such as curtains, furniture, and electrical cables away from the fire to prevent it from spreading further inside the apartment.

Their coordinated teamwork proved crucial in containing the blaze. Within minutes, the three men brought the fire under control.

Police officers arrived at the scene and encouraged them to continue their efforts.“He told me to keep the water running until the Civil Defence arrived,” said Al-Maleji.“But by the grace of God, we had already put it out.” The officer advised Al-Maleji to continue wetting the walls and surfaces, as they remained hot from the intense heat.

By the time the Civil Defence team arrived, the fire was completely extinguished. The firefighters inspected the scene, secured the area, and confirmed that no further intervention was needed.

Abdulrahman sustained a minor injury to his hand during the incident but was treated by paramedics at the scene and confirmed to be in good health.

The following day, all three men were honoured by the Sharjah Civil Defence Authority. They were presented with certificates of appreciation by Brigadier General Yousef Harmoul Al Shamsi for their courage and sense of responsibility. The authority also shared photos of the recognition ceremony on social media platform X.

Reflecting on the honour, Al-Maleji expressed immense pride and gratitude.“It's a feeling I can't describe. I felt pride, honour, and appreciation, something beyond words,” he said.

“I am so happy. This is something I will cherish for the rest of my life. The respect and appreciation shown by the authorities and the people of Sharjah and the UAE is extraordinary. This is what we always know about the people of the Emirates, especially Sharjah and its leaders.”

Abdulrahman said:“I want to express my gratitude to the ambulance, civil defence, and Sharjah police.”

“The feeling of being honoured is certainly wonderful, especially when the honour comes from someone like Brigadier General Yousef Harmoul Al Shamsi. We would also like to send our greetings and love to Sheikh Dr Sultan Al Qasimi,” he added.

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