Ajman: Coal used in a shisha sparked a huge fire that destroyed dozens of homes in the Ajman One residential cluster last month, the developer told Gulf News on Sunday.

Ghaleb Jaber, general manager of Real Estate Investments Public Corporation (REIPC), said that, according to authorities, coal used in shisha smoking was thrown into a construction waste pile that caught fire.

The fire spread to Tower Eight and then Tower Six because of strong winds and flammable material in the cladding.

“One of the residents was smoking shisha and threw its coal in a construction waste site where the fire broke out and spread to the adjacent buildings. There was construction work being carried out in the last building in the complex where a construction waste pile was left at the time of the incident. A police investigation is ongoing to identify the person,” Jaber said.

The fire on March 28 left dozens homeless. Some tenants are renting new apartments while others have been staying in hotel rooms paid for by REIPC. However, a few of the tenants staying in a hotel said they are being asked to leave within days by the hotel and REIPC.

“I and others staying in the hotel were told to either leave in two days or start paying for the hotel room. There was hardly any notice given. [REIPC] offered to lease me another apartment but it is unfurnished and I don’t have money right now to buy furniture. How will my family cope without any furniture or amenities? We lost everything in the fire,” said a 51-year-old tenant of Tower Six in Ajman One.

Another Tower Six tenant staying in the hotel said she was offered a two-bedroom apartment in Tower Two for Dh45,000 per year. The 25-year-old tenant from Syria said she was living in a one-bedroom flat for Dh38,000 before the fire.

“I don’t need a two-bedroom as my family is in Syria. Whatever furniture I have left is damaged, dirty and smelly because of the fire and the water used in the firefighting. Where is the insurance compensation we keep hearing about?” said the tenant, who only identified herself by her initials, S.S.

Compensation concern

Some homeowners are also concerned about insurance compensation, saying they have not received any communication in writing from the developer or insurance company.

“I was told the apartment will be restored but will I, as the owner, have any say in how well or not the restoration is carried out? And who is responsible for the loss of rent until then?” said Rose Fernz, who identified herself as the owner of a Type D one-bedroom apartment in Tower Six.

Another owner, an Indian investor who said he had “lots” of apartments in Tower Six, added that while he has to pay back rent taken from his affected tenants, he is facing payments towards maintenance of his now-charred apartments.

“We want to know what we can get from the insurance as the building is insured from the maintenance amount collected from the landlords. Most apartments sold in Tower Six and Tower Eight are on instalments and the next instalment is due very soon. If there is no clarity with regard to the rent reimbursement from the insurance company coming through, we have no money to pay,” said the middle-aged homeowner.

Comprehensive coverage

Jaber told Gulf News on Sunday that homeowners facing cash flow problems because of the fire can postpone their instalments.

He also said the towers are fully insured under a policy that “covers everything, even furniture”.

“Tenants of flats that were cleaned after the fire and others whose flats were not affected in the fire, they were asked to return to their flats and resume their normal life. And if their flats were gutted in the fire, we asked them to cancel their contract and collect their money from their landlords. They can rent either in the same complex or in other emirates as they wish,” Jaber said.

“We also asked landlords to cancel the rent contract and return the rent to their tenant because the insurance will compensate them. The insurance company will cover all the damages.”

He added that “only 14 people are still staying in hotels. Their apartments have been completed and cleaned and we asked them to return to their flats. If your flat was gutted, we will give you another flat. If your furniture was gutted, we will pay to buy new furniture. We will do the best for the resident, over and beyond what they expect.”

Jaber said a committee has been formed to work with tenants to estimate the value of the furniture “and pay for it in full”.

Meanwhile, the restoration process will take six to seven months, he added.

Coal culprit

The fire on March 28, which started in Tower Eight, was caused by coal used for shisha smoking by a resident, Jaber said. It spread to Tower Six because of strong winds and flammable material used in the cladding.

The coal was thrown in a construction waste pile near the tower. A police investigation is ongoing to identify the person, Jaber said.