Blaze at Compassvale Road: Mischief by fire
A fire broke out early this morning (July 20) in a four-room flat at Sengkang.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) were alerted at 4.15am and within five minutes, two fire engines, a Red Rhino, two ambulances and three support vehicles arrived at Block 257B Compassvale Road.
Firefighters had to force their way into the third-storey unit, and were able to extinguish the fire using two water jets within 30 minutes.
Police said that it was established that a case of mischief by fire had occurred.
As a precautionary measure, more than 20 residents were evacuated.
The New Paper understands that a 37-year-old police officer was sent to Singapore General Hospital with breathing difficulties.
When The New Paper arrived at the scene at 8am, the family who had been living in the affected unit were waiting in the corridor for SCDF to finish their inspections.
They declined to comment.
The aftermath of the fire was still evident with an acrid smell lingering in the surrounding area and debris from the scorched flat evident on the ground.
Residents told TNP that the family was not around when the fire started.
Mrs Elysha Suresh, 30, who lives in the unit above the affected flat said: "It was a scary morning and we were panicking. My family and I saw the smoke and flames, but didn't know where the fire started from."
Mrs Elvsha and her family were fortunate that there was no major smoke damage to their flat, though bedroom windows were cracked from the heat.
She added, citing the firefighters' bravery: "One of the firefighters guided us to the lift, and helped us to evacuate the building."
Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing.
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