Discarded Items at HDB Void Deck Caught Fire With a Bang in Hougang

We all want to start the year with a bang.

And though it might be a little late to apply that notion, the residents of Block 696 Hougang Street 61 might’ve just gotten that wish.

Though to say it’s a willing act would be a stretch too far.

What happened?

According to Stomp, a fire erupted at the lift lobby of Block 696 Hougang Street 61 in the early hours of Wednesday morning (13 Feb), causing quite a stir and smoke to fill the entire void deck.

Stomper Yasmin, who’s a resident of the block and had chanced upon the incident, related his experience to the news site.

“I heard a loud bang as I was walking home,” he told Stomp in a phone interview.

“I then rushed to see what had happened. Several pieces of debris had scattered around the area. Another resident was there with a fire extinguisher trying to put out the flames. The fire was quite big before I started recording.”

You can watch the video here, though here are a few pictures for your no-more-unnecessary-data-usage-policy:

The SCDF confirms allegations

In response to a Stomp media query, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) stated that they responded to the fire at around 1:45 a.m.

“The fire involved discarded items at a lift lobby,” a spokesman said. “It was extinguished with one hose reel.”

Thankfully, however, there were no reported injuries, though the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Netizens react

Following the revelation, Netizens had their say, and some saw the funny side of the scenario.

It seems, however, that the fire wasn’t as disruptive as one would’ve thought.

The incident is far from being the first, however

Back in 2016, residents of Block 431, Choa Chu Kang Avenue 4, were surprised when an explosive sound emanated from their block’s central refuse chute.

The fire, which occurred late at night, damaged the metal shutters of the chute.

A year later, in 2017, a fire broke out at the void deck of a residential block in Toa Payoh, causing around 50 people to be evacuated and one woman to be sent to the hospital.

A fire engine, a Red Rhino and two ambulances had to be sent to the scene, and officers eventually extinguished the fire using a dry powder extinguisher and compressed air foam.

And so… the moral of the story?

Watch what you throw into the rubbish chute.

Or anything anyone throws, for that matter.

Because honestly, while we all want to start the year with a bang…

This just doesn’t seem appropriate for the occasion.