Fire in Woodlands flat may have started from electrical outlet: SCDF
PUBLISHED ONJune 11, 2014 9:30 AM
SINGAPORE - The fire that broke out in a sixth-floor flat in Woodlands yesterday morning may have started from an electrical origin in the study, said the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) in a statement today.
The fire at Block 788E, Woodlands Crescent, was extinguished within 20 minutes. Firefighters managed to rescue the family of three, but William Tan, 57, succumbed to his injuries later in hospital, according to a MyPaper report.
Preliminary findings suggest the fire was accidental, and SCDF noted that the number of electrical fires in residential premises have increased by 10 cases, or 5.2 per cent, from 2012 to 2013. Majority of the electrical fires were usually caused by electrical appliances and machineries that short-circuited or sockets that were overloaded with electrical wirings and appliances.
Households are advised to never overload electrical outlets, to switch off appliances when they are not in use, to use electrical plugs that carry safety marks and to keep wires away from hot surfaces and from running under carpets and mats. The conditions of wires should be checked regularly, and frayed wires or cracked cords should be replaced or repaired immediately.
huizhen@sph.com.sg