From 24 to 30 August, at least nine fires made the public record in Singapore. Nobody died. Three people were taken to hospital. More than 300 people were evacuated from the incidents with published evacuation figures.
The week at a glance
- 0 deaths reported
- 3 people taken to hospital
- 300+ people evacuated
- 9 publicly reported incidents
If you only remember one thing: get out, stay out, call 995 from a safe place.
24 August — York Hotel
About 4.00am. 21 Mount Elizabeth, near Orchard Road.
SCDF said the fire involved the contents of a kitchen / food-preparation area on level two. Hotel guests were evacuated. The hotel said the area was a tenant-operated Chinese-restaurant kitchen, unoccupied at the time, and that the fire was out by about 4.20am. SCDF and the hotel said it was put out with a fire extinguisher.
One guest injured an ankle during the evacuation, was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, and was later discharged.
The cause was still under investigation.
SCDF via The Straits Times, Mothership and AsiaOne. Photograph: Xiaohongshu screengrabs via The Straits Times.
24 August — Maxwell Food Centre
About 4.30am. 1 Kadayanallur Street.
SCDF said the fire involved the contents of a hawker stall. Officers forced entry and put it out with two water jets. No injuries were reported.
Lianhe Zaobao / Shin Min named the stall as Wang De Fu (satay wonton mee) and reported heat and power damage at the neighbouring chicken-rice stall. A stallholder’s guess that the gas was off and a fridge was on is not an SCDF finding.
The cause was still under investigation.
SCDF via 8world and Lianhe Zaobao / Shin Min.
24 August — Little India
About 5.45pm. First-floor kitchen at 405 Race Course Road.
SCDF said the fire involved the contents of a shelving unit in the kitchen and was extinguished with a water jet. Three people left the unit before SCDF arrived. SCDF evacuated four people from neighbouring units. One person was assessed for smoke inhalation and declined to be sent to hospital. That person is not counted here as taken to hospital.
The cause was still under investigation.
SCDF via STOMP.
25 August — Lornie Highway
About 12.00pm, near MacRitchie Reservoir.
SCDF said the fire involved the engine compartment of a car. It was extinguished with a hosereel. No injuries were reported.
GetGo said it is investigating its own shared vehicle. That is not an SCDF finding. This post does not treat the car as a battery, lithium-ion, or electric-vehicle fire.
The cause was still under investigation.
SCDF via AsiaOne and Lianhe Zaobao. Photograph: Instagram / sgfollowsall screengrabs via AsiaOne.
25 August — Ava Road
About 9.15pm. Fourth-storey unit at 2 Ava Road, Balestier (Victory Point).
SCDF said the fire involved the contents of a bedroom. A water jet put it out. No injuries were reported. Lianhe Zaobao reported more than 70 people evacuated and that the unit was staff living quarters.
The cause was still under investigation.
SCDF via The Straits Times and AsiaOne; evacuation figure via Lianhe Zaobao. Photograph: Lianhe Zaobao via The Straits Times.
27 August — Clementi West
About 8.25am. Second-floor three-room flat at Block 729 Clementi West Street 2.
SCDF said the fire involved the contents of a kitchen. One water jet put it out. About 30 residents were evacuated. No injuries were reported.
An occupant told Shin Min he suspected an altar-lamp wiring short circuit. That is not an SCDF finding. This post does not write Hungry Ghost, joss paper, or candle as fact.
The cause was still under investigation.
SCDF via Lianhe Zaobao / Shin Min.
28 August — Sembawang (Nordcom II)
About 9.55am. Refuse collection point at Nordcom II, Gambas Crescent.
SCDF said the fire involved the contents of a garbage compressor. Two water jets put it out. No injuries were reported. Lianhe Zaobao reported more than 20 SCDF personnel on site and that nearby roads were closed for more than five hours.
The cause was still under investigation.
SCDF via Lianhe Zaobao.
29 August — Seletar Link
About 11.05am, near Seletar Link and Seletar South Link.
SCDF said the fire involved vegetation measuring about 150 metres by 200 metres (about three hectares, roughly four football fields). It was extinguished with two water jets and an unmanned firefighting machine. No injuries were reported.
The cause was still under investigation.
SCDF via CNA and Lianhe Zaobao.
29 August — Choa Chu Kang
About 9.05pm. Second-floor unit at Block 287 Choa Chu Kang Avenue 2.
SCDF said the fire involved the contents of a bedroom. One water jet put it out. Two people left the unit before SCDF arrived. Two people were taken to Singapore General Hospital for smoke inhalation. Member of Parliament Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim later said they had been discharged. The Straits Times noted it is not known whether the two who left the unit were the two taken to hospital. About 200 people were evacuated from the block as a precaution.
The cause was still under investigation.
SCDF via The Straits Times and AsiaOne. Photograph: AsiaOne reader.
What to do with a week like this
You cannot stop every fire. You can leave faster when one starts.
At home
- Keep the corridor and gate clear. You need a path, not a store.
- Bedroom and kitchen fires still need neighbours, smoke, and 995 more than a guess about wiring or an altar lamp.
- An extinguisher in the right hands can buy time. It is not a reason to stay inside a burning bedroom.
At work or in a food stall
- Know who closes the kitchen and where the extinguisher lives.
- If the space is empty overnight, early detection and a clear exit matter more than a fridge theory.
If something starts
- Tell the people next to you.
- Leave if smoke or fire is spreading. Do not go back for a phone.
- Call 995 from a safe place.
The line that matters
Get out. Stay out. Call 995.
Quick answers
How many fires were reported in Singapore this week? Nine that we could confirm in public SCDF or named-news reports: York Hotel, Maxwell Food Centre, Little India, Lornie Highway, Ava Road, Clementi West, Sembawang Nordcom II, Seletar Link, and Choa Chu Kang.
Did anyone die? No deaths were reported in this window.
What started them? SCDF had not named a cause for any of the nine at the time of writing. Do not treat an occupant’s guess, or a car-share company’s own inquiry, as the finding.
What should I do if my block is on fire? Get out. Stay out. Call 995 from somewhere safe.