Fanning the flames: Homeowner ends up with $300k bill after fan catches fire, but no news from insurance company

They were on their way to the airport when they received a call from their son that their house had caught fire.

Little did they expect that the damages from the fire would add up to $300,000. What made matters worse was that their insurance company remains uncontactable seven months since the incident.

According to Lianhe Zaobao on Sunday (March 26), the fire occurred at a semi-detached house in Lentor Green on the morning of Sept 17 last year.

The fire seemed to have originated from a fan in a room on the first floor which the family used to store items such as clothes, watches and bags. The fire had apparently been sparked by an electrical short circuit.

Speaking to the Chinese daily, Zeng Yulan, 73, said that she and her husband were on their way to the airport to board a plane to Penang when they received the news that their home had caught fire.

According to Zeng, the room was initially a guest room but it wasn't being occupied regularly, so the family used it to store their personal items.

There were six wardrobes in the room, which contained around 300 pieces of clothing, 50 to 60 pairs of earrings, 20 watches and a wallet with cash worth $500.

Zeng noted that on the day of the incident she had been having issues turning on the fan in the room. She pressed a button to switch it on but it wouldn't work.

She also revealed that the fire had spread to the storeroom and the kitchen, destroying two fridges and several cabinets in the process. The glass on the windows had also shattered.

This resulted in damages costing up to $300,000, excluding renovation and cleaning fees.

Upon returning from their trip to Penang, the couple contacted their insurance consultant to assess the cost of the damages caused by the fire, before starting on the renovation and cleaning works.

In addition, the house became uninhabitable after the fire, forcing the family of three to rent a service apartment for three to four months, which cost them around $27,000. 

The family moved back to the house only during Chinese New Year.

7 months later, insurance still not claimed

The couple took out $120,000 to pay for the damages and have been waiting for their compensation from the unnamed insurance firm ever since.

However, seven months after the incident, there still hasn't been news regarding the claims.

As they had only just updated their fire insurance last year, they were eligible for claims which covered the cost of accommodation, renovation, cleaning and all the items that had been destroyed by the fire.

The couple, however, claim that they have not been able to contact the insurance company for compensation, even though the renovation works have been completed.

"We have been waiting for around seven months, and have already compiled all the billing details to the other party," Zeng told the Chinese daily.

"We had also paid 50 per cent of the renovation fees, forking out around $120,000 in total.

"We worry that we will not receive the compensation, and as of now have not paid for the other 50 per cent as we are still awaiting for the insurance company to contact us."

Lianhe Zaobao has contacted the insurance company for more details.

ALSO READ: Now scared to turn on electricity, Yishun resident says after 5 extension cords powering fish tanks catch fire

wongdaoen@asiaone.com