The fire engulfed the first floor of the house in East Coast Road, while the upper floors sustained smoke and fire damage. - PHOTO: SCDF/FACEBOOK
SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): About 35 people were evacuated from neighbouring units after a fire broke out at a semi-detached house in East Coast Road on Jan 5.
In a Facebook post on the same day, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to a fire at a three-storey house at 305 East Coast Road at 12.45am.
When firefighters from Kallang Fire Station and Paya Lebar Fire Station arrived, fire had engulfed the first floor of the vacant house and was spreading to the upper floors.
Firefighters had to force their way into the house, and used two water jets to contain the fire, SCDF added.
They also deployed a combined platform ladder to conduct aerial firefighting.
The fire, which was fully extinguished at about 3am, caused the upper floors of the house to sustain smoke and burn damage.
SCDF added that there were no reported injuries. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Amanda Lee, who was among the residents from the neighbouring units that were evacuated, thanked SCDF in a comment in its Facebook post.
She also expressed her gratitude to the residents who shouted outside her house to inform her family about the blaze.
She said: “I want to say a big thank you to our unsung heroes who were so brave and so efficient at putting out the fire. It was a raging one. You really are our heroes.”
There were 1,954 cases of fires in Singapore in 2023, an 8.6 per cent increase from 1,799 cases in 2022. - The Straits Times/ANN
