Punggol flat fire result of woman's attempt to douse cooking flames with water

A 42-year-old woman was taken to hospital after suffering burns while attempting to extinguish a kitchen fire on Tuesday (Jan 14) night.  

The woman surnamed Li, told Shin Min Daily News she was preparing to fry snacks for Chinese New Year in her home at Block 229A, Sumang Lane. 

However, the oil caught fire when she turned up the heat on the gas stove. 

In a moment of panic, the mother of three tried to put out the fire by adding water to the flames, which caused the fire to intensify. 

"I was very worried about my children and husband, so I went to wake them up and told them to run away.

"I stayed in the kitchen to try and put out the fire, but it got bigger. I ended up getting burned," said Li, who works in customer service. 

"This is not the first time I've made this snack. I just turned on the gas to heat up the oil, but I didn't expect it to burst into flames." 

Li ended up suffering burns to her right hand and cheek, which had to be bandaged. 

She added that it was heart-breaking to see her home of two years burn down.

"But thankfully, everyone is okay," Li said. 

Although the doctor suggested that she be warded, Li chose to be discharged from hospital so she could take care of her children. 

Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) confirmed they received a call for assistance regarding a fire at around 11pm on Jan 14. 

A water jet was used to extinguish the fire, and about 60 people were evacuated from the neighbouring units by the police and SCDF.

Two individuals were also conveyed to the Singapore General Hospital.

Assistance provided to family: MP Sun Xueling

Following the incident, Punggol West MP Sun Xueling took to her Facebook page to share that a rental unit was secured for Li's family. 

"They are in good hands, so rest assured that we are supporting the family," said Sun, who added that the town council provided more than $600 to support the schooling needs of Li's three children.

Sun also expressed gratitude to the Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council for their assistance in cleaning up the rental unit and donors for donating furniture and clothes to the family. 

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What to do when you encounter oil fires

To prevent oil fires at home, the SCDF advises members of the public to not leave their cooking unattended, and not to pour water onto hot cookware. 

They also cautioned members of the public against putting out an oil fire with water. 

Instead, they should cover the wok with a wet cloth or a metal lid to control the fire. 

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xingying.koh@asiaone.com