8 taken to hospital after fire at Joo Seng Road HDB block; man to be charged with mischief
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SCDF said the fire, which engulfed an entire unit on the 18th floor of Block 14 Joo Seng Road, could have been started intentionally.
ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
SINGAPORE – Eight people were taken to hospital after a fire broke out in an 18th-floor unit at a Housing Board block in Potong Pasir on the night of May 4.
In a post on Facebook, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said two firefighters felt unwell during the firefighting operation and were also taken to hospital as a precaution.
In response to media queries, the police told The Straits Times that a 44-year-old man was arrested at the scene for mischief by fire.
The police and SCDF said they were alerted to the fire at Block 14 Joo Seng Road at about 9.40pm.
The eight people, who were assessed for smoke inhalation, and the two firefighters were taken to Singapore General Hospital, SCDF said in its post on Facebook.
“Upon arrival, fire was seen raging inside a unit on the 18th floor,” SCDF said.
It added that the fire, which engulfed the whole unit, was extinguished with two water jets. Three people had evacuated themselves before SCDF’s arrival.
“Preliminary findings indicate the fire could have been intentionally started,” SCDF said in the post.
In a statement on the evening of May 5, the police said the incident resulted in significant property damage to the affected surrounding residential units.
They added that the two firefighters who were taken to hospital have since been discharged.
The 44-year-old man is expected to be charged on May 6 with mischief by fire with intent to destroy a house.
In a post on Facebook, Potong Pasir MP Alex Yeo said SCDF evacuated the entire block of residents for their safety and that all affected residents are safe.
He also expressed his gratitude to the HDB team that checked on the building for structural issues, and arranged for temporary housing for affected residents.
Mr Yeo also thanked the grassroots volunteers and People’s Association team who stayed until early morning to look after residents until it was safe for them to return to their homes.
Police investigations are ongoing.
If found guilty, the man could be jailed up to 10 years and fined.
In its annual statistics report released in February, SCDF said the total number of fires increased by 3 per cent – from 1,990 in 2024 to 2,050 in 2025. Of these, 1,051 involved fires in residential buildings.
According to the report, the number of people who were hurt in fires increased from 80 in 2024 to 94 in 2025.
