Fire in Tampines HDB block sends residents fleeing

A fire broke out in a temporary storage area on the ground floor of a newly built HDB block in Tampines, sending thick black smoke billowing hundreds of metres into the sky and forcing residents to evacuate.

The blaze occurred around 6pm on March 12 at Block 665C, Tampines Street 64. The fire reportedly started in a temporary storage space located on the ground floor.

Mr Liang, 40, a resident of the block, told Shin Min Daily News he was having dinner with his wife and daughter when smoke began drifting into their home.

"At first, we didn't think much of it, but then the smoke turned from white to black and got thicker and thicker. That's when I knew something was very wrong," he said.

"Our entire unit was engulfed in smoke. It was so dense that everything turned grey and hazy - my daughter was so frightened, she burst into tears."

Acting quickly, Mr Liang shut the kitchen windows and evacuated his family. As he ran along the corridor, he shouted "Fire!" and knocked on neighbours' doors to alert them.

Once outside, Mr Liang realised the fire was coming from the ground-floor storage area, which was used to store construction materials.

Videos obtained by Shin Min showed massive plumes of black smoke billowing from the block, nearly engulfing the entire building. Two workers were seen running in and out of the affected area, seemingly attempting to extinguish the fire before authorities arrived.

By around 10pm, emergency personnel had started to leave the scene, and workers moved in to begin clearing debris and assessing the damage.

Upon inspection, the storage area was found to have contained various building materials, such as pipes and tiles. The area was charred, with ceiling lights melted and building materials on the floor deformed by the intense heat.

A spokesperson from the Singapore Civil Defence Force confirmed they received a report of a fire at around 6pm, involving items in the ground-floor storage area.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze using two water jets, and fortunately, no one was injured.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

SCDF also acknowledged that some residents had assisted in the early stages before authorities arrived and said these individuals would be officially commended for their efforts.