SINGAPORE – Although the flat above Ms Chow’s unit was undergoing noisy renovation works, she was still able to hear a piercing scream at around noon on Dec 29.

The 46-year-old, who wanted to be known by just her surname, stepped out of her house, only to find out that a fire had broken out in a flat at a neighbouring block in Hougang.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the fire on the 10th storey of Block 552 Hougang Street 51, at around 11.15am.

There were no reported injuries from the fire, which involved the contents of a bedroom, said SCDF.

A resident from the affected unit had evacuated before SCDF arrived, and the police took precautions by evacuating 20 residents from the block.

When The Straits Times arrived at the scene at around 12.30pm, a police cordon had been put up outside the affected unit.

The bedroom walls and the ceiling outside the unit were covered in soot, while debris and clothing were strewn across the floor.

At around 12.45pm, residents of the affected block were allowed to return to their flats, except for those living on the 10th storey.

Renovation contractor Alex Lim, 49, was working in a flat on the 11th storey at around 10am, when he decided to step out after detecting a burning smell.

Confronted with the sight of smoke billowing upwards, he rushed to alert neighbours and helped usher everyone down the stairs.

Another resident, Ms Lim, who declined to give her full name, told ST she was unaware of the fire until her grandmother returned home after hearing about the fire while she was buying lunch.

“It was just the two of us at home, although my parents and brother live with us as well. They were quite shocked when I told them about the fire, and were worried if we were safe,” said the 22-year-old university undergraduate, who lives on the 12th storey.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, said SCDF.