ANN/THE STRAITS TIMES – About 40 people were evacuated from a Bishan HDB block during a blaze that is believed to have been sparked by an unattended mosquito coil.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), replying to queries from The Straits Times, said it responded at about 1.30pm to the fire at Block 176 Bishan Street 13.
A bedroom and the living room of the fifth floor unit were engulfed in flames, said the SCDF.
In a video of the incident put up on Facebook, at least six units appeared to be affected by the fire, with thick black smoke billowing from the fifth floor and flames spreading to the air conditioning units outside.
As the fire raged, charred debris fell off the building. By the time the blaze was extinguished with two water jets, some units above the fifth floor had sustained heat and smoke damage, SCDF said.
Four people had fled from the affected unit before the arrival of SCDF.
SCDF said: “The police and SCDF evacuated about 40 people from the affected block. There were no reported injuries.”
Early SCDF investigations suggest that the cause of fire is likely due to lit materials that were left unattended.
Chinese-language news outlet Shin Min Daily News reported that the fire was sparked by an ignited mosquito coil in the master bedroom.
The owner of the unit told Shin Min that she was eating with her mother in the living room when she smelt smoke.
