Punggol flat bathroom fire forces family of 6 to flee after crackling wires spark blaze

A family of six escaped unharmed after a fire broke out in their Punggol flat early on Sunday (Oct 4).

Juffri Alui told AsiaOne that he, his wife and their four children had just returned home from Johor Bahru and settled their children, including their seven-month-old baby, to bed.

The couple then decided to wash up before going to sleep.

While showering in the common toilet at about 4am, Juffri's wife heard a crackling sound and noticed a smell of smoke.

She alerted her husband, who switched off the water heater while she quickly finished showering.

But the smell of smoke grew stronger after she left the bathroom.

Juffri said he then went to investigate and noticed a small fire inside the LED light box in the toilet.

"[I] told my wife to wake the kids up and got everyone out of the house," he told AsiaOne.

Juffri called the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) at about 4.35am while he remained inside the flat to monitor the fire.

SCDF arrived within 10 minutes and used a hose reel to put out the blaze.

Fire likely started from electrical origin

SCDF told AsiaOne that it was alerted to a fire at a unit in Punggol at about 4.40am on Sunday, where the fire occurred on the fifth floor.

No injuries were reported.

It noted that preliminary findings indicated that the fire had likely originated from an electrical source in the toilet.

Juffri also noticed a similar crackling sound and smoke in the master bedroom, although that area did not catch fire.

He said the light box was already installed when the family moved into the flat, and they had only installed the lights themselves.

"It was the wires that connected to the water heater," he added.

Grateful for quick response

Juffri said he was grateful that his family was able to leave the flat quickly and that SCDF officers arrived soon after he called for help.

He also thanked SCDF for its quick response and for checking that everyone was safe and did not require medical attention.

"I'm glad I am already back in Singapore when this happened," he wrote in his Instagram post sharing the incident.

SCDF reminded the public to take precautions against electrical fire, including avoiding overloading electrical outlets and switching off appliances when they are not in use.

Members of the public should also regularly check electrical wires and replace or repair frayed wires and cracked cords immediately.

SCDF advised against running wires under carpets or mats and said wires should be kept away from hot surfaces.

It also reminded consumers to use only electrical appliances and plugs bearing the Safety Mark.

SCDF added that batteries and devices should not be left charging unattended for extended periods or overnight.

asyiqin.nadzri@asiaone.com

周日（10月4日）清晨，榜鹅一间公寓发生火灾，一家六口安全逃生，未受任何伤害。

朱弗里·阿鲁伊告诉亚洲新闻网，他和妻子以及四个孩子刚从新山回到家，并安顿好孩子们，包括他们七个月大的婴儿，让他们上床睡觉。

随后，这对夫妇决定洗漱一番再睡觉。

凌晨 4 点左右，朱弗里的妻子在公共厕所洗澡时，听到噼啪声，并闻到一股烟味。

她提醒了丈夫，丈夫关掉了热水器，她则迅速洗完了澡。

但她离开浴室后，烟味变得更浓了。

朱弗里说，他随后前去查看，发现厕所里的 LED 灯箱内着火了。

“我让妻子叫醒孩子们，然后把所有人都带出了家门，”他告诉亚洲新闻社。

凌晨 4 点 35 分左右，朱弗里在公寓内观察火情的同时，拨打了新加坡民防部队 (SCDF) 的电话。

新加坡民防部队在10分钟内赶到现场，并使用水带将火扑灭。

火灾很可能是由电气故障引起的。

新加坡民防部队告诉亚洲新闻网，周日凌晨 4 点 40 分左右，他们接到报警称榜鹅一处公寓发生火灾，火灾发生在五楼。

未报告人员受伤。

报告指出，初步调查结果表明，火灾很可能是由厕所内的电源引起的。

朱弗里还注意到主卧室里有类似的噼啪声和烟雾，尽管那个区域没有着火。

他说，当他们一家搬进这套公寓时，灯箱就已经安装好了，他们只是自己安装了灯具。

“是连接热水器的电线出了问题，”他补充道。

感谢您的快速回复。

朱弗里表示，他很感激家人能够迅速离开公寓，而且在他打电话求助后，新加坡民防部队人员很快就赶到了。

他还感谢新加坡民防部队的快速反应，并确认所有人的安全，以及是否需要医疗救助。

“我很庆幸这件事发生时我已经回到新加坡了，”他在分享这起事件的 Instagram 帖子中写道。

新加坡民防部队提醒公众注意防范电气火灾，包括避免电源插座过载以及不使用电器时将其关闭。

公众也应定期检查电线，并立即更换或修理磨损的电线和破裂的电缆。

新加坡民防部队建议不要在地毯或垫子下铺设电线，并表示电线应远离高温表面。

它还提醒消费者只使用带有安全标志的电器和插头。

新加坡民防部队补充说，电池和设备不应长时间或过夜无人看管地充电。

asyiqin.nadzri@asiaone.com