Greater need for S’poreans to have fire safety skills amid rise in number of home fires: Edwin Tong

SINGAPORE – Public awareness of how to prevent and deal with residential fires needs to be raised, said Law Minister and Second Minister for Home Affairs Edwin Tong.

Amid an increase in the number of residential fires in Singapore, residents need to know what to do if such a fire breaks out, Mr Tong said at the launch of an initiative on March 29 to equip residents in his Joo Chiat ward with such skills.

A common mistake, for instance, is pouring water on a stove fire. This can cause the fire to spread instead because of the presence of grease and oil.

Mr Tong noted that there are many seniors living alone in Joo Chiat who cook, and that fires can spread very quickly, especially in homes.

“That’s why it’s important for residents to be prepared and know what to do,” he said.

Mr Tong’s remarks came as the number of fires rose to 2,050 cases in 2025, up from 1,990 cases the year before. 

Over half of the fires occurred at residential buildings, with unattended cooking and electrical fires – including faults in electrical wiring or overloaded sockets – remaining the top two causes of such fires, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said in its annual statistics report on Feb 11.

There were six fire fatalities and 94 fire injuries in 2025, the SCDF noted in its latest report. There were seven fire fatalities and 80 fire injuries in 2024.

At the Joo Chiat Emergency Preparedness Day, about 300 residents were taught by SCDF officers to use a fire extinguisher through live firefighting demonstrations.

Those who attended the event at Kampung Siglap Lifeskills Training and Retreat Centre were also taught to carry out cardiopulmonary resuscitation and use an automated external defibrillator – a medical device designed to save lives during sudden cardiac arrest.

Attendees received packs with items such as a waterproof dry bag, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, portable fan, torch and power bank.

The programme will be rolled out across Joo Chiat with the aim of reaching at least 3,000 households, the Joo Chiat Constituency Office said on March 29.

It added that similar emergency preparedness exercises are being explored for other East Coast GRC divisions – Kampong Chai Chee, Changi Simei, Bedok and Fengshan.

Joo Chiat resident Josephine Ng, 54, said she never thought about getting a fire extinguisher for her home.

“I thought it was bulky and wasn’t sure how much it cost. But I’m glad to receive one now,” said the special needs teacher who attended the event with her 15-year-old son.

Although Ms Ng had learnt how to use a fire extinguisher in the past, she said the event was a good refresher. “If you don’t have the muscle memory, it’s difficult to know what to do in the moment.”

Retired teacher Azizah Mohd, 62, said she learnt to use a fire extinguisher about 10 years ago but has since forgotten how to use it.

After participating in a live demonstration, she said it was not as difficult as she thought. “It’s a good skill to have, to deal with emergencies inside and outside my home,” she said.

The event came after recent fires in eateries here.

On March 26, a fire broke out in Bukit Merah View Market and Hawker Centre, causing significant damage to three stalls.

A week earlier, a fire in a Queen Street coffee shop led to one person being taken to hospital for smoke inhalation. The March 19 fire also disrupted the electricity and water supply in the HDB block, affecting 101 units and lasting more than a day.

Both fires involved kitchen exhaust ducts. For the Bukit Merah fire, the Tanjong Pagar Town Council noted that the SCDF and police said it was likely caused by unattended cooking activity.

Mr Tong said those incidents were different from home fires, given the higher volume and intensity of cooking.

“So we will have to change the messaging and contextualise it to the particular user, but it is important to ensure that the messages are passed on and that we don’t take safety for granted,” he said.