3 residential fires in 2 days: One likely started from PAB battery in bedroom, says SCDF
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was alerted to three residential fires in two days at the start of the new year.
The first was at Block 108 Bukit Purmei Road in Bukit Merah.
After being alerted to the fire on Jan 3 at about 1:20pm, SCDF arrived at the block to find one of the bedrooms of a sixth-storey flat in flames.
Firefighters conducted forcible entry into the smoke-filled unit and extinguished the fire with two water jets.
The fire was confined to the bedroom, and no one was inside the flat at the time.
About 20 people from the block were evacuated by the police and SCDF as a precautionary measure.
Preliminary findings indicate that the fire likely originated from the battery of a powered-assisted bicycle in the bedroom.
On the same afternoon, SCDF was alerted to a fire at Block 816 Tampines Avenue 4 at about 3:20pm.
Upon SCDF's arrival, black smoke was emitting from a bedroom in a seventh-storey flat.
Firefighters conducted forcible entry into the flat and used a water jet to extinguish the fire, which was confined to the bedroom. No one was inside the flat at the time.
About 30 people from the block were evacuated by the police and SCDF.
On the next day, SCDF was alerted to a fire at People's Park Complex in Chinatown at about 1:55pm.
Upon SCDF's arrival, the living room of a unit on the 21st storey was on fire.
Firefighters conducted forcible entry into the residential unit and extinguished the fire with two water jets. No one was inside at the time.
About 20 persons from the block were evacuated by the police and SCDF.
There were no reported injuries for all three incidents and the causes of the fires are under investigation.
That was not all.
So far, in 2026, there have also been fires in Sembawang, Hong Lim Food Centre and Sungei Kadut.
And it hasn't even been a week into the new year yet.
