Arson suspected after multiple recycling bin fires in Woodlands in 4 days
Residents in Woodlands and Marsiling were left alarmed after a string of mysterious fires broke out at two HDB blocks over four days, with multiple recycling bins going up in flames.
Fires break out in Woodlands & Marsiling within days
Two HDB blocks in Woodlands and Marsiling saw multiple fires since last Friday (7 March), frequently involving recycling bins.
The first fire was reported at Block 155, Woodlands Street 13, on Friday (7 March), where items on a bench suddenly caught fire.
The next day, a recycling bin on the ground floor of the same block went up in flames, prompting members of the public to douse the fire using buckets of water.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
After a day of no incidents on Sunday (9 March), a resident noticed the strong smell of burning at 10am on Monday (10 March).
Looking out of her window, she was shocked to see another recycling bin — replacing the one burnt earlier — ablaze once again.
“I never expected it to happen again today, it’s really dangerous,” she said to Shin Min Daily News.
Residents once again acted swiftly, putting out the flames before the fire could spread.
While nothing happened in Woodlands on Sunday, a recycling bin at Block 135 Marsiling Road — just 700 metres away — caught fire the same day.
A 45-year-old resident spotted the blaze and rushed to put it out before Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) personnel arrived to extinguish it with a water jet.
The fire left the bin melted beyond recognition, reducing it to charred plastic and ash.
Residents suspect fires caused by arson
Residents of Block 155 said they had never seen such incidents in their 30 years of living there.
Suspicion grew when they noticed that two recycling bins — previously placed at opposite ends of the block — had been moved next to each other before one caught fire.
A resident from Block 135 Marsiling Road also claimed that the recycling bin had been moved from the car park to the ground floor before it caught fire.
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) confirmed with MS News that reports had been lodged and that investigations into the fires at Block 155 and Block 135 are ongoing.
MS News has also reached out to the SCDF for further comments on the incidents.
Also read: Large pile of garbage catches fire in Woodlands, HDB loading bay engulfed in flames
Large pile of garbage catches fire in Woodlands, HDB loading bay engulfed in flames
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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News.
