Saudi's Civil Defence warns of 6 products that cause cars to catch fire in summer heat

Jeddah: Amid the scorching summer in the kingdom, the General Directorate of Civil Defence in Saudi Arabia has issued a warning against leaving flammable products in the car, highlighting that it may cause fires and explosions inside the vehicle, Arab News reported.

In a message posted on Twitter, Civil Defence listed the six types of products, which include lighters, portable chargers, liquid hand sanitizer, gas canisters, cigarette lighters, and phone batteries.

All these products may explode when exposed to extreme heat and may cause the car to catch fire, the Civil Defence warned, calling on everyone to ensure that none of these products are left in the car to maintain public safety.

One of the most dangerous items is hand sanitizer, which contains alcohol and, if left sitting on the dashboard in direct sunlight, could start a fire. It is also believed that there have been a number of cases of low-quality power banks exploding in hot cars around the Kingdom, causing damage and injuries.

According to the Saudi National Center for Meteorology, many places in the country experienced extremely hot conditions on Wednesday. Wadi Al-Dawaser and Al-Ahsa recorded the highest temperatures in the country, at between 47 C and 48 C. However the sky over Najran was cloudy and there was rain in southern and western parts of Saudi Arabia.

Searing heat has made this week an uncomfortable one for residents of Riyadh, with some reporting that their car tires had melted on baking hot roads. The maximum temperature forecast for Riyadh this week is 45 C, with the heatwave continuing until the weekend. Temperatures in the Makkah area are expected to reach about 38 C.