Burnt Kranji warehouse cited 7 times for fire safety violations

The Kranji warehouse that caught fire on Feb 19 was cited seven times for fire safety violations between 2018 and 2024, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said on Feb 21.

In a media reply, it said the facility at 11 Kranji Crescent - which recycling and waste management firm Wah & Hua has listed online as its address - was issued three notices of offence for severe violations, such as unauthorised fire safety works involving the erection of a steel platform.

Those issued such notices can be fined up to $5,000 once the issue has been rectified. Failure to fix the violations could lead to prosecution in court, and a fine of up to $200,000, a maximum jail term of 24 months, or both, upon conviction.

In addition, the Kranji facility was issued four fire hazard abatement notices in the same period, for violations such as faulty exit signs and obstructions to exit doors, hose reels and fire extinguishers.

The SCDF said that between 2018 and 2024, it conducted 10 inspections at the facility and responded to three fires. The first fire was on March 22, 2018, followed by one on June 20, 2023, and another on March 28, 2024.

The SCDF's investigations showed that the three fires were accidental, due to either smouldering embers or the spontaneous ignition of general waste materials.

On Feb 21, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) ordered the facility's owner to close off access to affected structures.

It found that the metal roof of a single-storey warehouse and part of the roof of a two-storey office building had collapsed in the aftermath of the fire, which had been largely extinguished after a nearly nine-hour battle that began at about 10.30am.

BCA said it has instructed the owner of the affected buildings to appoint a professional engineer to assess the structures and recommend immediate safety measures to mitigate risks.

The professional engineer will also be required to carry out a detailed investigation and propose permanent rectification works.

One person was taken to the hospital for burn injuries and smoke inhalation, and the SCDF deployed six water jets, four unmanned firefighting machines, an unmanned aerial vehicle and a combined platform ladder at the height of the firefighting operation on Feb 19.