ANN/THE STRAITS TIMES – A fire broke out early yesterday morning at a Housing Board block in Punggol, Singapore requiring about 60 residents to evacuate and one person to be hospitalised.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) responded to the fire at Block 224A Sumang Lane around 5am, with firefighters from Punggol, Sengkang, and Tampines fire stations on the scene.
Upon arrival, smoke was seen coming from a seventh-floor unit, where the fire, which had started in the bedroom, was quickly extinguished using a water jet.
Four people had already evacuated the unit before the SCDF arrived.
As a precaution, the police and SCDF evacuated about 60 residents from surrounding units. One person was treated by paramedics for smoke inhalation and taken to Singapore General Hospital.
SCDF’s preliminary investigation suggests the fire likely started from an electrical source in the bedroom.
There were 1,954 fires in 2023, an 8.6-per-cent hike from the 1,799 cases in 2022. Of the 1,954 fires, 970 took place in residential buildings, an increase of 3.7 per cent from 935 in 2022.
The top two causes of fires were electrical issues, with 597 cases; and unattended cooking, with 456 cases, according to SCDF statistics.
Fire injuries also fell from 171 to 81, and deaths from eight to three, from 2022 to 2023.
In its advisory, SCDF urged the public to avoid overloading power sockets and to switch off electrical appliances when not in use, in order to prevent electrical fires.
People should not leave batteries or devices to charge unattended for an extended period of time or overnight.
They should also check the condition of wires regularly, and replace or repair frayed or cracked wires immediately.
SCDF also advised the public against leaving wires under carpets or mats, and to keep these away from hot surfaces.
