Serangoon HDB flat fire sends four to hospital, 50 residents evacuated

Four people were taken to hospital following a fire that broke out in a flat in Serangoon on the evening of Sept 16.

In a Facebook post on the same day, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it responded to a fire at Block 502 Serangoon North Avenue 4 at about 8pm.

When firefighters arrived at the scene, one of the bedrooms of the seventh-floor HDB unit was on fire, which was then extinguished with a water jet.

Three people from the unit had evacuated before SCDF arrived, with one of them suffering minor burn injuries.

The trio and another resident from a neighbouring unit were assessed for smoke inhalation and taken to Singapore General Hospital.

About 50 people from the affected block were also evacuated by the police and SCDF as a precautionary measure.

Preliminary findings show that the fire likely had an electrical origin in the bedroom.

To prevent such fires, SCDF reminded the public to not overload electrical outlets with electrical appliances, to always switch off appliances when they are not in use, and to check the condition of wires regularly.

SCDF added that frayed wires or cracked cords should be replaced or repaired immediately.

People should not run wires under carpets or mats, and should keep wires away from hot surfaces. Batteries or devices should also not be left charging unattended for a long period of time, or overnight.

SCDF also advised people to use only appliances and electrical plugs bearing the Safety Mark. The categories of appliances can be found on this website.