Rubbish bin catches fire at Choa Chu Kang, residents captured on video rushing to contain flames

A rubbish bin was captured on video catching fire on the morning of Oct 13 at 671A Choa Chu Kang Crescent.

Photos circulating online showed an overturned bin with its contents in flames.

Mandy Ng, a passer-by, told The New Paper that the fire started around 8.30am, and she noticed smoke while walking past the block.

"In less than a few minutes, an orange flame was seen," she said, recounting that two residents also noticed the situation and jumped in to help.

Ms Ng called 995 and proceeded on her way to work, saying she was unsure how the situation was resolved.

Later, she shared photos and videos of the fire in the Friends of Yew Tee Facebook group.

Video shows residents rushing to contain flames

A three-second clip shows two men wheeling the burning bin toward an open space, while a five-second clip shows one of them using a stick to sweep the burning rubbish out of the bin.

Cardboard boxes and other flammable items were on fire, with smoke billowing from the flames.

Although the cause of the fire was unknown, Ms Ng cautioned against throwing cigarette butts into the bin, as the contents of the bin might be flammable.

"It was really lucky that the two residents risked their safety to contain the fire," she said. "Otherwise, it would be a bigger fire."

STOMP reported a similar incident on Sep 27, when a skip bin caught fire at Block 131, Yishun Street 11.

No reported injuries

In response to queries from TNP, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) confirmed that it was alerted to the fire involving contents of a rubbish bin at about 8.35am.

"Members of the public extinguished the fire using buckets of water before SCDF's arrival," an SCDF spokesperson said, noting that there were no reported injuries.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

TNP has reached out to SPF for comment.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include a statement from SCDF.