DUBAI, UAE — A medium-scale fire broke out at a restaurant inside a building on Dubai's bustling Sheikh Zayed Road early Monday morning, July 6, 2026 sending thick plumes of black smoke into the skyline and disrupting the rush-hour commute near the First Interchange.

The incident triggered an immediate emergency response, with first responders working swiftly to evacuate the premises and manage the heavy traffic backlog on the major highway.

The Dubai Civil Defense Operations Room received the initial emergency alert at exactly 7:42 AM. Firefighters from the Al Ittihad Fire Station—the primary response unit for the sector—were immediately dispatched.

Arriving on the scene by 7:48 AM, emergency crews clocked an impressive six-minute response time. Upon evaluating the situation, the incident commander classified the blaze as a medium-scale fire.

As a strict precautionary measure, civil defense teams quickly evacuated all residents and occupants from the affected building, minimizing the risk of smoke inhalation injuries.

"I was just on my morning walk at around 8:00 AM when I saw the thick plumes of smoke coming out of the building. Soon after, I watched as flames broke through the building's facade. Many people from the building were standing safely on the pavement."— Local Eyewitness

Fire crews battled the flames for just over three hours. The fire left noticeable black soot on the building’s facade and caused minor structural damage to an exterior metal canopy roof before it was fully suppressed.

At 10:50 AM, the incident field commander confirmed that the fire had been successfully brought under control. Teams immediately transitioned into a cooling phase to extinguish remaining hot spots and prevent any potential reignition.

Fortunately, Dubai Civil Defense confirmed that there were no injuries or fatalities resulting from the incident.

While the early morning emergency caused significant visual concern and traffic slowdowns near the Financial Centre and First Interchange areas, public safety was maintained throughout the operation. Following the conclusion of the cooling operations, the site will be handed over to relevant authorities to investigate the exact cause of the restaurant fire.