100 people evacuated after fire breaks out at shophouse in Sembawang

SINGAPORE - About 100 people were evacuated from neighbouring units after a fire broke out at a two-storey shophouse in Sembawang on Wednesday (Jan 8).

In a Facebook post in the early hours of Jan 9, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to a fire at the shophouse at 10A Jalan Tampang at 8.25pm on Jan 8.

Firefighters had to force their way into the shophouse, and used two water jets to contain the fire, SCDF added.

Two water jets were also deployed at the exterior of the building to prevent the fire from spreading to the adjacent units.

Eight emergency vehicles and about 40 firefighters were deployed at the height of the firefighting operation, SCDF said.

They came from Yishun Fire Station, Woodlands Fire Station, Tampines Fire Station and the Special Response Unit.

In a video posted on video-sharing platform TikTok, flames can be seen rising above a row of shophouses.

Several firefighters and policemen, as well as a fire engine can be seen in the background.

SCDF said the fire was fully extinguished within an hour and it is currently damping down the affected area.

Damping down refers to the application of water to wet burnt surfaces immediately after a fire is put out.

SCDF added that there were no reported injuries. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

There were 1,954 cases of fires in Singapore in 2023, an 8.6 per cent increase from 1,799 cases in 2022.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.

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