Fire Broke Out in Canberra Road Wet Market This Morning When It Was Empty

You’d think that wet markets, given their name, would be immune to fires. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case.

Fire Broke Out at Canberra Road Wet Market

According to a Facebook post by Member of Parliament for Sembawang GRC Ong Ye Kung, a wet market located at Block 511 Canberra Road was the site of a fire early this morning (17 May).

The fire was quickly contained after the Singapore Civil Defence Force was promptly notified by residents and arrived at the scene. Fortunately, no one was on-site during the fire, hence there were no injury or casualties. 

Images on the Facebook post, however, show heavy damage done to the wet market: only the non-combustible steel frames remain on some storefronts, while charred and collapsed pipes, steel beams, and destroyed produce could be seen everywhere.

It is surely a blow to the stall owners, whose business is presumably already affected by the worsening COVID-19 situation here.

Ong pledged that the wet market would be restored as soon as possible with the help of the Housing Development Board, and stall owners whose property was damaged in the fire would be contacted for further assistance.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. You can read the original Facebook post below.

Third Fire in Less Than A Month

This is the third reported fire since 21 April, when the SCDF had to rescue two people from a window ledge after a fire broke out at a seventh-floor flat.

The fire was quickly extinguished, though the bedroom and the corridor adjacent to the unit received considerable damage. According to Channel NewsAsia, the fire started due to the improper charging of a power-assisted bicycle.

In a separate incident, about 20 people were evacuated from Compass Heights condominium on 26 April following a fire in an eighth-floor apartment. The fire was extinguished, and no injuries were reported. 

Prior to these incidents, a spate of fires in Riversails Condominium triggered an investigation that led to the decommissioning of Electrolux built-in refrigerators installed as standard at the complex. 

It appeared that a design fault had rendered these appliances particularly vulnerable to combustion, and affected homes were advised to cease their use immediately until a replacement could be given.

In the event of a fire, the SCDF advises the public to call 995 for assistance as soon as it is judged to be out of control. For common kitchen fires, it recommends that a dry powder fire extinguisher be kept accessible at all times, and urges the public not to leave cooking unattended.

Featured Image: Facebook (Ong Ye Kung)