SINGAPORE - As shoppers and revellers flock to malls and clubs or pubs this festive season, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) has a message to relay: Stay fire-safe.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday (Dec 12), the agency reminded the public to do just that, pointing out that more people will be at places such as shopping malls and public entertainment outlets.

The malls that SCDF conducted checks on include Serangoon's Nex mall and the SingPost Centre in Paya Lebar, while pubs along Tras Street and in the Magazine Road area were checked as well, The Straits Times understands.

Some common fire-safety violations found include places that did not maintain their fire extinguishers or exit lights, while others had exit doors obstructed.

Such violations pose fire risks and impede safe evacuation in an emergency, SCDF said.

Those who contravene the Fire Safety Act may face fines.

For more serious fire-safety violations, owners of the establishments face heavier penalties, such as a jail term of up to two years and/or a fine of up to $200,000.

SCDF said it would continue to step up its enforcement checks throughout the festive season.

Those who spot fire hazards may submit a report with photos through the mySCDF mobile app or via the SCDF website.

Last year, SCDF conducted 15,291 enforcement checks. It issued 2,776 notices of fire-safety offences and 2,887 fire hazard abatement notices as a result.

The former are notices issued for serious contravention, such as unauthorised fire-safety works.

The latter are warnings given to building owners and management to remove fire hazards. The most common fire hazards are poor maintenance of hose reels and fire extinguishers, as well as obstructed exits.