Post by : Badri Ariffin

About 40 people were evacuated after a fire broke out on the fourth storey of a shophouse along Serangoon Road in Singapore at around 9.30am on July 22.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) confirmed in a Facebook post that no injuries were reported during the incident.

Firefighters Contain Blaze Within an Hour

SCDF responded quickly to the fire and deployed an aerial water jet from a combined platform ladder to stop the flames from spreading to nearby units.

The fire was brought under control and extinguished within an hour. Firefighters continued damping down operations in the affected area after the blaze was put out.

According to SCDF, damping down is the process of pouring water over burnt surfaces immediately after a fire has been extinguished. This helps cool hot spots and prevents the fire from reigniting.

Emergency Response at the Scene

At least five police vehicles and three fire engines were stationed at the scene, while firefighters were seen entering and leaving the affected unit as part of the ongoing operation.

Authorities also closed four of the five traffic lanes along Serangoon Road, causing heavy traffic congestion. The alley behind the affected shophouse was cordoned off for safety.

Witnesses Describe Thick Smoke

Vinesh Krishnan, 45, manager of Indian restaurant Podi & Poriyal, located several units away from the affected building, said the fire was already intense when he arrived for work at about 9.30am. "There was thick black smoke when I reached the restaurant. My colleague, who arrived 10 minutes earlier, told me the smoke was even thicker then."

Phillip Yong, 67, a retiree who lives in a condominium opposite the shophouse, said he noticed the smoke while returning home after breakfast in Boon Keng. "I was on my way home after having breakfast in Boon Keng when I saw the smoke and knew immediately that something bad had happened."

He added: "It seemed to me a residential unit above an Indian restaurant was affected. I know several people live there, as I've seen them coming in and out of the unit in the past."

Previous Shophouse Fires in Singapore

The latest incident follows several other shophouse fires reported in Singapore.

On February 15, a fire broke out at a shophouse on Dunlop Street. The blaze started at a bak kwa shop and involved the contents of a kitchen exhaust unit.

In April 2025, another shophouse fire in River Valley claimed the life of a 10-year-old girl and injured 21 others. The fire began at a cooking school.

Fire Statistics Show Increase in Incidents

SCDF's annual fire statistics, released in February, showed that fire-related injuries increased from 80 cases in 2024 to 94 cases in 2025.

The total number of fires also rose by 3%, increasing from 1,990 incidents in 2024 to 2,050 incidents in 2025.

Despite the increase in overall fires, fire-related deaths fell slightly, from seven in 2024 to six in 2025.

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