PUBLISHED ONBYSean LerSome 70 people were evacuated from a Housing and Development Board (HDB) block in Punggol on Tuesday (Nov 10) night after a fire broke out in the kitchen of a flat.
The incident happened at about 10.10pm in a 15th-floor residential unit at Block 105A Edgefield Plains.
Videos posted on social media show at least three Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) fire engines, two police fast response cars, and a light fire attack vehicle along the driveway near the affected block.
In one video, an unknown object, possibly from the window panel, was seen falling from the flat and onto the ground floor area which was cordoned off.
Meanwhile, residents are seen gathered outside the police cordon.
SCDF told AsiaOne that the fire involved contents of the affected unit's kitchen, adding that the fire was put out using a water jet.
According to SCDF, three persons evacuated from the unit on their own prior to the firefighters' arrival, and about 70 people were evacuated from the block by police officers and firefighters as a precautionary measure.
Two persons were assessed for smoke inhalation but they declined to be taken to the hospital.
"Preliminary findings indicate that the cause of the fire is likely from an electrical origin in the affected kitchen," SCDF said.
The lifesaving force also reminded members of the public not to overload electrical outlets with electrical appliances, and to always switch off appliances when they are not in use.
The conditions of wires should also be checked regularly, it added.
Homeowners and occupiers should not run wires under carpets or mats. They should also keep wires away from hot surfaces.
Those who are charging their batteries or devices are advised not to leave them unattended for an extended period of time, or overnight.
According to SCDF's Emergency Medical Services, Fire and Enforcement Statistics 2025, about 51.3 per cent, or 1,051 of the 2,050 fire calls last year happened in residential buildings.
Of these, the most common cause of fire in residential premises are unattended cooking, electrical origin, and naked light.
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