SINGAPORE - A 35-year-old man was arrested for setting a mattress on fire at a Housing Board block in Buangkok on Sunday (Feb 26), blackening the walls and floor at the staircase landing.

The incident happened on the first floor of Block 978C, Buangkok Crescent, at about 2pm.

Three residents helped to put out the fire with two pails of water, Shin Min Daily News reported on Tuesday (Feb 28).

A 21-year-old national serviceman who gave his name as Mr Chen told Shin Min that he saw the fire blazing.

He rushed down with his father and a friend to put out the fire.

"We didn't think too much, we just wanted to quickly get the fire under control. So the three of us found two big pails at home, filled them with water and went downstairs," said Mr Chen.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) told The Straits Times on Tuesday that they dispatched a fire engine and a fire bike.

The fire was extinguished with buckets of water, and there were no injuries reported, said SCDF.

A resident on the second floor who gave his name as Mr Liang told Shin Min that only his daughters were at home at the time.

Both of them saw thick smoke rising from the first floor. They hurriedly closed the windows and called for help, said the 53-year-old, who is self-employed.

"After I got the call about the fire, I rushed home, but luckily the fire was already put out and no one was hurt," said Mr Liang.

Sengkang Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC) said in a Facebook post on Monday (Feb 27) that the fire blackened walls and pillars and damaged the lights.

It added that officers from Sengkang NPC arrested the suspect within eight hours of the police report, through extensive ground investigations.

The police told ST that it was alerted to a case of mischief by fire and arrested a 35-year-old man in relation to the case.

Police investigations are ongoing.