Yishun Resident Uses 5 Extension Cords To Power Fish Tanks, Almost Burns Down Flat

Yishun Resident Almost Burns Down Flat After Overusing Extension Cords

Prolonged usage of extension cords is often advised against given their tendency to overload and cause fire hazards.

This was unfortunately the case for a Yishun resident, who used five extension cords to power his fish tanks — one of the sockets short-circuited as a result and caught fire.

Thankfully, his neighbours noticed smoke billowing from the unit and notified the authorities, who eventually extinguished the fire.

Yishun resident says fire was caused by extension cords

The fire happened at about 5.20pm on Wednesday (18 Jan), reports Shin Min Daily News.

A next-door neighbour reportedly noticed the smell of burnt plastic but did not pay much attention to it. Later, another neighbour told him that there was heavy smoke coming from the unit next door and he realised there was a fire.

According to him, the resident of the affected flat lived alone and was not at home when the incident happened.

In an interview with Shin Min Daily, Mr Liang (transliterated from Chinese) – the owner of the flat – said the root of the fire was an extension cord in his living room.

As he had over 20 fish at home, he needed to power the air pumps that supply oxygen to the tanks.

However, as the wires in his house were not long enough, he decided to purchase several extension cords.

He recalled buying the extension cords two years ago for about S$10.

Resident’s flat had many piled-up items

According to Shin Min Daily, there were five extension cords in Mr Liang’s living room. These extended from the entrance, along the fish tanks, to the other end of the living room.

Additionally, there were many piled-up items in his flat, such as old newspapers, books, CDs, and plastic bags.

Following the incident, Mr Liang said he’d be more careful when it comes to electric usage, especially when it comes to extension cords.

SCDF advises public to exercise caution

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) confirmed that the fire started from a table in the corner of the living room.

SCDF officers had to force their way into the house and used two compressed air foam backpacks to extinguish the fire.

Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident.

Further investigations revealed that the fire may have been caused by electrical means.

An SCDF spokesperson also advised members of the public to exercise caution in preventing fires, such as refraining from overloading power sockets and using safety-marked appliances and plugs.

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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News on Facebook.