PHOTOS: Fire erupts in former Civil Defense complex

Photos courtesy of Twitter and Peter Kovessy

Updated at 11:30am

Firefighters quickly extinguished a blaze on the roof of the former Civil Defense garage that sent plumes of thick black smoke into the sky Tuesday morning.

Construction crews are currently renovating the iconic building in Wadi al Sail to convert it into a new Qatar Museums arts center.

A supervisor on the site told Doha News that the fire broke out in the garage, adjacent to the main building, at around 8:20am as a worker was using a torch to apply asphalt to the roof of the low-rise building.

The Ministry of Interior tweeted in Arabic at 8:47am that the fire had been brought under control.

Speaking to Doha News, a site supervisor described the incident as a “small fire” and said no one was injured. He added that inspectors would be examining the building today to assess the extent of the damage.

The heat and smoke from the fire blackened the middle portion of the taller building on the western part of the property.

While the scaffolding was still intact, workers on the upper floors could be seen pouring coolers of water on the planks of wood.

Several local residents posted photos of the fire on Twitter:

The building has been empty since Civil Defense moved to its state-of-the-art headquarters nearby in December 2012.

The new center, designed by Qatari architect Ibrahim Al Jaidah, will be renamed “The Doha Fire Station,” and is scheduled to be finished by the end of this year.

An initiative by QM’s Public Arts Department, it will host an Artists in Residence Program, offering studio space, supply shops and workshops to local artists.

There are also plans for galleries, a café and children’s play areas on site.

Thoughts?

Correction: An earlier version of this story said the fire was located on the upper floors of the Civil Defense building. The fire was limited to the roof of the adjacent former garage.

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