Airbus A.300 A7-ABV was undergoing maintenance at Gamco in Abu Dhabi. At night a fire broke out in the airplane. The fire was put out and further damage to the hangar and two other planes was averted. Nevertheless the A300’s fuselage was gutted by the fire. The fire was probably caused by either an electrical spark, or arc from a faulty light, or by an electrostatic discharge from paint spraying equipment while the aircraft was in interior painting works. Contributory factors: (i) The painting process could have generated a layer of flammable vapor close to the cabin floor which may have led to creating flammable vapor pockets under the polythene sheets. (ii) The spread of the fire was probably exacerbated by the lack of fire extinguishers and the quantity of used paint cans, rags, polythene sheets and chemicals existent in the aircraft. (iii) The non-adherence to the company procedures and standards pertinent to aircraft painting by personnel involved in the aircraft painting works.