Residents of a Woodlands HDB block sprang into action after a fire broke out along their common corridor on Monday night (Sept 14), with neighbours working together to put out the flames before firefighters arrived.
The fire broke out at around 9.35pm at Block 693B Woodlands Avenue 6, part of the Admiralty Grove HDB cluster.
According to the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), the fire involved a shoe rack along the common corridor on the eighth floor. Members of the public managed to extinguish the flames using the building’s hose reels before SCDF personnel arrived.
There were no reported injuries, while the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Residents described a chaotic scene after hearing what sounded like several small explosions.
Resident Faith Chong told The Straits Times that she was having dinner with her family when she heard the sounds coming from outside. Realising that a fire had broken out near a neighbouring flat, she shouted a warning and alerted the occupants.
Her husband, Jeffrey Lim, 36, grabbed a fire extinguisher kept at home and rushed towards the flames.
The extinguisher helped suppress the fire temporarily, allowing the occupants of the affected flat to get out safely. However, the flames reignited after the extinguisher was depleted.
A group of boys from the estate then joined the effort, using the communal fire hose together with another resident to tackle the blaze. Other neighbours were also seen bringing pails of water to help.
Videos shared online showed residents moving through the smoke-filled corridor as they responded to the emergency.
Chong later described the neighbours’ response as an example of the “kampung spirit” — with residents putting aside their own concerns to help others during a dangerous situation.
The police also received several calls for assistance at the block at around 9.35pm. Investigations are ongoing.
By the time SCDF arrived, the fire had already been extinguished. While parts of the corridor, including the ceiling and walls outside the affected flat, were damaged, no injuries were reported.
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