Fire and Alarms
When talking about a destructive fire or blaze, Arabic uses the word حريق. If there is a fire, you will likely notice smoke (دخان) or hear an alarm (إنذار).
To say "fire alarm," Arabic uses the possession structure (إضافة), placing the word for "alarm" directly before "the fire": إنذار الحريق (literally "the alarm of the fire").
| There is a big fire in the building. | يوجد حريق كبير في المبنى.yûjadu harîqun kabîrun fî al-mabnâ |
| We saw the smoke before the fire. | رأينا الدخان قبل الحريق.ra'aynâ ad-dukhâna qabla al-harîq |
| We heard the fire alarm in the middle of the night. | سمعنا إنذار الحريق في منتصف الليل.saminâ 'indhâra al-harîqi fî muntasafi al-layli |
Evacuation and Rescue
In an emergency, the first step is to evacuate (أخلى) the area.
The people arriving to help are the firefighters. A single firefighter is إطفائي. The general noun for "firefighting" or "extinguishing" is إطفاء. You will see this noun paired with other words to describe emergency vehicles and teams, such as a fire engine (سيارة الإطفاء) and a firefighting team (فريق الإطفاء).
Similarly, medical help arrives in an ambulance (إسعاف).
| The police evacuated the building because of the smoke. | أخلت الشرطة المبنى بسبب الدخان.akhlati ash-shurtatu al-mabnâ bisababi ad-dukhân |
| The firefighter rescued a child from the fire. | أنقذ الإطفائي طفلا من الحريق.anqadha al-itfâ'iyyu tiflan mina al-harîq. |
| The fire engine is faster than the ambulance. | سيارة الإطفاء أسرع من سيارة الإسعاف.sayyâratu l-itfâ'i asra'u min sayyârati l-is'âf. |
Equipment and Safety
Firefighters use specialized equipment, like a heavy hose (خرطوم), to control a blaze. For smaller emergencies, you might look for a fire extinguisher (مطفأة).
Ultimately, whether in a building or a factory, the main goal of emergency protocols and equipment is safety (سلامة).
| The firefighter used the water hose. | استخدم الإطفائي خرطوم الماء.istakhdama al-itfâ'iyyu khurtûma al-mâ'. |
| The fire extinguisher is next to the door. | مطفأة الحريق بجانب الباب.mitfa'atu al-hariiqi bijaanibi al-baabi |
| Safety is the most important priority in the factory. | السلامة هي أهم أولوية في المصنع.as-salâmatu hiya ahammu awlawiyyatin fil-masnaʿi |
