Clothes dryer catches fire after power trip at Punggol HDB flat, 70 residents evacuated
A fire involving a clothes dryer broke out in an HDB flat at Punggol, forcing a couple and their son to flee their home as 70 people were evacuated.
The fire occurred at about 10pm on Nov 10 in a 15th-floor unit at Block 105A Edgefield Plains.
When Shin Min Daily News arrived at about 11pm, the fire had been extinguished, but Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers and police officers remained at the scene.
Large numbers of residents had evacuated to the ground floor and were waiting for the authorities to give the green light for them to return home.
Ms Wang, 50, a human resource executive who lives on the 17th floor, said she initially smelled smoke before hearing several loud popping sounds.
When she checked, she saw flames shooting out of the windows of the unit below.
“Later, I heard the occupants of the affected unit shouting ‘Fire!’ in the corridor. I immediately called the police and went door to door, alerting my neighbours on the same floor to evacuate.”
Speaking to Shin Min, Ms Lin, the daughter of the affected flat’s owner, said five family members lived in the unit.
The 22-year-old student added that only her parents and younger brother were home when the fire broke out.
Upon discovering that the clothes dryer in the kitchen had caught fire, the three of them immediately fled.
Her father, Mr Lin, a 53-year-old fund manager, said the electricity supply to the flat suddenly tripped while the dryer was operating on the night of the incident.
He switched off the dryer’s power before turning the main circuit breaker back on to restore the electricity supply.
However, he subsequently noticed smoke coming from the dryer before it caught fire.
“The flat was renovated about two years ago, and we bought the dryer around the same time,” he added.
Ms Lin said the fire broke out suddenly, destroying the dryer and causing extensive damage to the kitchen. The family was uninjured.
In a separate incident on Oct 18, a fire that broke out in a 13th-floor unit at Block 714 Tampines Street 71 was also suspected to have involved a clothes dryer.
On Nov 10, the Consumer Product Safety Office (CPSO) issued an advisory reminding owners of the Elba EBD 602S tumble dryer to monitor their appliances closely, after six fires involving the same model were reported locally over the past five months.
According to Shin Min, the dryer involved in the fire on Nov 10 was understood to be from a different brand.
Fire likely from an electrical origin; 70 residents evacuated
In response to Stomp’s queries, SCDF said the fire involved the contents of the affected unit’s kitchen and was extinguished by firefighters using a water jet.
Three people were evacuated from the unit before SCDF arrived.
Two individuals were assessed for smoke inhalation but declined to be taken to hospital.
As a precaution, about 70 residents were evacuated.
Preliminary findings indicate that the cause of the fire was likely from an electrical origin in the affected kitchen.
Members of the public are reminded to follow these guidelines to prevent such fires:
- Do not overload electrical outlets with electrical appliances
- Always switch off appliances when they are not in use
- Check the condition of wires regularly. Frayed wires or cracked cords should be replaced or repaired immediately
- Do not run wires under carpets or mats and keep them away from hot surfaces
- Use only appliances and electrical plugs bearing the Safety Mark. The categories of appliances can be found at http://www.consumerproductsafety.gov.sg
- Do not leave batteries or devices charging unattended for an extended period of time, or leave it charging overnight
Family urgently seeking temporary accommodation
Mr Lin said he and his wife spent the night at the Residents’ Committee centre, while their children stayed at a friend’s home.
“We still have some follow-up matters to settle, including finding temporary accommodation and planning our next steps. The residents’ committee chairman is assisting us,” he said.
The couple returned to their flat on the morning of Nov 11 to assess the damage and retrieve their belongings.
At the scene, the exterior wall of the block was visibly blackened by smoke.
Inside the unit, soot covered the living room ceiling and floor, while the ceiling fan had melted from the heat.
Neighbours’ homes also affected, residents move out overnight
Nan En (transliterated), a 43-year-old preschool teacher who lives on the 16th floor, said she had managed to close her windows promptly after the fire broke out.
Although none of her belongings were burnt, her home was covered in ash and filled with a strong smell of smoke.
Her family moved to a friend’s home for the night.
Wang, who lives on the 17th floor, said her home was also covered in ash and that she planned to clean it over the weekend.
“I’ll still stay at home, but I’ll have to turn on the air purifier.”
When reporters visited the scene on the night of Nov 10, about 10 residents from the 15th floor were still waiting on the ground floor until nearly 1am while investigations were ongoing.
Risk of dryer catching fire is higher if not properly maintained
James Tan, technical director of appliance repair company Power Electrical, said dryers use heating elements to generate heat and dry clothes, similar to how an oven works.
If flammable clothing comes into contact with the heating components, it could potentially ignite.
“The likelihood of a new dryer catching fire is relatively low, but the risk increases if the machine has been used for several years without proper maintenance.”
He advised users to be alert if their dryers become unusually hot, emit a burning smell or have plugs that feel hot to the touch.
Wu Yong Yan, 38, founder and technical director of another appliance repair company, Fixwerks, said friction within the drum generates considerable amounts of lint.
If lint is not cleaned out regularly, it could accidentally catch fire when exposed to heat during the drying process.
He also advised users to avoid overloading their laundry into washing machines and dryers.
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