SCDF firefighter sent to hospital after fire engulfs Tampines condo unit, 100 people evacuated

Tampines condo fire involved bedroom inside a 15th-floor unit

A Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) firefighter was sent to the hospital after a fire broke out in a Tampines condominium unit on Friday (9 Jan) night.

The blaze led to about 100 people being evacuated, said SCDF in a Facebook post.

Crackling glass heard as fire consumes Tampines condo unit

Footage of the fire posted on XiaoHongShu showed a corner of the condo building covered in flames.

While the blaze seemed to be confined to the top floors, flaming embers were seen falling to the ground.

Crackling sounds could also be heard, which the original poster (OP) attributed to the glass shattering.

Five or six fire engines had arrived at the scene, but the fire seemed to be getting worse, they said.

Several SCDF & police vehicles respond to Tampines condo fire

Another XiaoHongShu user shared a video of smoke coming from the roof of the building.

She was amazed that the blaze was so big as she had initially thought it was a “small fire”, she said.

The video also showed several fire engines lined up along the road.

Police and other SCDF vehicles were also observed at the entrance to the building.

A Telegram user shared a photo of the scene, noting that the fire had taken place in the Santorini condo.

Condo unit becomes burnt-out shell

After the fire was extinguished, both netizens shared photos revealing that the unit had become a burnt-out shell.

The second user heard that nobody was home at the time, and wondered how the fire had started.

She speculated that it was of electrical origin, and the occupants would be devastated when they returned.

Firefighters force themselves into Tampines condo unit to fight fire

In its Facebook post, SCDF said it was alerted at about 9.05pm to a fire in Block 29 Tampines Street 86 — the address of the Santorini condo.

Firefighters found one of the bedrooms in a 15th-floor unit on fire when they arrived.

They had to force their way into the smoke-filled unit, as no one was inside at the time.

The fire, which was largely confined to the bedroom, was eventually extinguished with two water jets.

Firefighter suffered heat exhaustion, sent to hospital

Unfortunately, a firefighter suffered heat exhaustion during the firefighting operation.

He was conveyed to Changi General Hospital.

As a precautionary measure, about 100 people from the affected block were evacuated.

SCDF advises public to practise home fire safety habits

While the cause of the fire is under investigation, SCDF advised members of the public to practise home fire safety habits.

These include not leaving their cooking unattended and not overloading power sockets.

When electricals are not in use, the power should be switched off, it said.

Lastly, lighted materials such as candles should be put out before leaving home.

The latest fire is the fourth reported blaze in Tampines since the year started, following one at Our Tampines Hub after the stroke of midnight on 1 Jan and two over two days in Block 733 Tampines Street 71 and Block 816 Tampines Avenue 4.

Also read: 30 people evacuated after fire breaks out at Sungei Kadut industrial building, 1 sent to hospital

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Featured image adapted from Max猫咪牧场 on XiaoHongShu and Singapore Civil Defence Force on Facebook.