Homeowner blames interior design firm and family friend for fire in her Punggol flat
A homeowner blames an interior design firm's negligence and a family friend for causing the fire in her flat in January.
Stomper Anonymous said the fire broke out four months after she hired the interior design firm to renovate a part of one of her bedrooms.
She told Stomp: "This small renovation was an add-on. TV and other appliances were new and we were all preparing for Chinese New Year. Little did we know, the fire broke out at 5am from that very room they had renovated."
In response to a Stomp query, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it responded to a fire at Block 224A Sumang Lane in Punggol on Jan 26 at about 5.05am.
The fire, involving the contents of a bedroom in a flat on the seventh storey, was extinguished with a water jet.
One person was assessed for smoke inhalation and taken to Singapore General Hospital.
SCDF said investigation findings indicate that the fire was likely caused by an electrical origin from the affected bedroom.
The Stomper said: "Based on SCDF investigations and subsequent evaluations, it appears that the cause of the fire was linked to poor workmanship or negligence during the renovation.
"I have been working in that room every day since 2022 and it has always been the same. I don't think it was a coincidence or my negligence. The power sockets added gave off some heat, which raised red flags. We couldn't address the matter in time because the fire had already broken out.
"It has been confirmed by my contractor who did the restoration after the fire that it's highly likely that the contractors from the interior design firm caused it."
The homeowner sought answers from the company.
"When confronted, they said it was unfair to put the blame on them when I didn't provide any pictures," she told Stomp.
"But come on, who could tell from a completely ruined socket? They showed me a picture of my socket before the fire and told me what they did behind the wall as if I had X-ray eyes. The explanations were lame and amateurish.
"The contractor who restored my house said most new companies often skip a step when connecting wires, which is bonding the earth wire. It would be hazardous when mishandled."
The Stomper said she repeatedly tried to engage the company for accountability and compensation.
"They have refused to take responsibility for the substantial financial and emotional losses I have suffered," she told Stomp.
"I just want them to show some compassion and compensate for our losses. I'm even open to meeting them halfway if they can't meet my demands. But they can't even give me an answer."
What made it worse was that the creative designer of the firm was considered a family friend.
"Yet he turned his back on us," said the homeowner.
"It's because he's a family friend, trust was there until he broke it. On top of that, he hasn't been professional. We had to chase him for drawings and he was always late for appointments with us."
The Stomper added: "As a homeowner, I feel strongly that the public should be aware of how such situations can unfold, and how little recourse individuals may have when facing uncooperative contractors."
Stomp has reached out to the interior design firm for more info.
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