Leading causes of car fires in Dubai revealed

DUBAI // More than 1,000 cars have caught fire in the Dubai since 2008, Dubai Police say.

In the past five years, police have been called out to 1,223 vehicle fires - a third of the 3,448 fire reports, says Ahmed Mohammed, senior fire investigator at the Department of Criminal Evidence and Criminology (DCEC).

Last year alone, police were called to the scenes of 228 car fires.

Col Fahd Al Mutawa, head of the DCEC, said most fires were the result of human negligence and could be prevented by raising public awareness about fire safety in cars.

The leading causes of ignition investigators found were the improper maintenance of electrical systems, illegal modifications to the vehicle, drinking alcohol or smoking inside the car, and driving in the desert without a four-wheel-drive option.

talsubaihi@thenational.ae