Fire at reclaimed land put out

Channel NewsAsia 6 May 12;

SINGAPORE: A fire broke out on a piece of reclaimed land north east of the Singapore mainland on Sunday.

The football field-sized fire was put out by 10 SCDF fire-fighters, who were supported by marine fire vessels which pumped sea water for fire fighting purposes.

Some construction-site machinery, equipment and products believed to be used in land reclamation were affected by the fire.

There were no reported injuries.

The fire was responsible for the huge plumes of black smoke seen from the eastern parts of Singapore earlier on Sunday afternoon at about 2pm.

SCDF said its officers arrived on the reclaimed land at about 3pm and had brought the fire under control within an hour.

The fire was completely put out at 6.30pm.

- CNA/wm

Fires break out at 3 places in 1 day
Toa Payoh blaze involves items left in common area
Melissa Pang and Tessa Wong Straits Times 7 May 12;

Three fires broke out at different locations on Sunday - one at an HDB block, one at a Tuas plant, and another at an offshore piece of reclaimed land.

The residential fire was the second one in a week that involved items left in a common area. The incident happened last night on the eighth floor of Block 52, Toa Payoh Lorong 6.

Mr Jeawdeen, who goes by only one name, lives on the fifth floor and said he was watching television when he heard an explosion.

'I ran out to take a look and saw some people gathered downstairs shouting, 'Fire, fire'. When I looked up, there were flames bursting out of the eighth floor, where the lift landing is,' said the 32-year-old self-employed man.

A spokesman for the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it received a call at 7.42pm. The fire, which involved bicycles and discarded items, was extinguished in 15 minutes.

Residents who were interviewed said a family who lives in a unit beside the lift landing filled the space with as many as 10 bicycles, a mattress and a sofa.

Resident committee members told The Straits Times that the family had been warned as recently as early last month to remove the items.

Last Friday, a fire swept across the 11th floor of a block of rental flats in Marsiling Road. Eleven people were taken to hospital for smoke inhalation and breathlessness.

The fire was believed to have started at the lift landing, where a resident had left a pile of items such as chairs, mattresses and appliances.

Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan said later that town councils need to enforce rules against HDB residents who leave bulky items in common spaces.

Early Sunday morning, three explosions rocked a waste management plant in Tuas.

An eyewitness said it had been business as usual at Eco SWM before the fire broke out.

Technicians were transporting oil sludge into a funnel leading to an incinerator, which measures 60m by 60m, when they heard loud explosions.

Bright orange flames started shooting out of the funnel.

They quickly activated the alarm and scrambled out of the control room.

The room soon caught fire, leading to windows shattering and part of the roof collapsing.

The SCDF said it was alerted to the fire at around 12.50am on Sunday. Three fire engines were dispatched and SCDF personnel put out the blaze within half an hour.

The eyewitness, who declined to be named, said: 'We have no idea how it happened. Everything was going smoothly, the technicians had done their checks outside, and there were no fumes or smoke before the fire started.'

The SCDF said there were 25 employees on site at the time.

According to the Eco SWM website, the plant was established in 1998. It is part of the Eco group of companies which deals mainly in waste management for industrial and commercial industries.

Later, at around 2pm, the SCDF was once again mobilised for a fire at a piece of reclaimed land north-east of Singapore.

With the support of a Singapore Armed Forces marine vessel, the SCDF dispatched its vehicles and personnel to the location.

Firefighters arrived at the scene at 3pm and brought the blaze under control within an hour.

The fire, which occupied an area the size of a football field, was completely extinguished by 6.30pm.

The fire involved some construction-site machinery and equipment, and products believed to be used in land reclamation.

An SCDF spokesman said no one was at the scene when the fire occurred.

It is investigating the cases.

No one was hurt in all three incidents.

Reclaimed land burns
Amanda Lee Today Online 7 May 12;

SINGAPORE - A fire broke out yesterday on a piece of reclaimed land between Pulau Tekong and the mainland, sending black plumes of smoke into the sky that were visible from areas in the eastern part of Singapore.

According to the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), it was alerted to the incident at 2.06pm.

With the support of a Singapore Armed Forces marine vessel, the SCDF despatched its vehicles and personnel to the reclaimed land.

Its officers arrived at about 3pm and within an hour the fire was brought under control, according to a statement from the SCDF.

It added that the fire was in an area that was about the size of a football field and it involved "construction-site machinery and equipment, and products believed to be used in land reclamation".

The blaze was completely extinguished at about 6.30pm. There were no reported injuries and the SCDF is investigating the cause of the fire.

It said yesterday's operation was the first that involved its new marine fire-fighting capability.

"Two marine fire vessels were deployed to help with the fire-fighting operation by pumping sea water to assist the fire-fighters on the ground," the SCDF said. AMANDA LEE

Fires at both ends of island keep SCDF busy
Joy Fang mypaper AsiaOne 7 May 12;

Two separate fires were reported on opposite ends of Singapore yesterday, but no one was injured.

In the first incident, waste materials at an incinerator plant in Tuas View Crescent caught fire early yesterday morning. The 1,600 sq m plant is owned by Singapore company Eco Special Waste Management.

A Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) spokesman said a call was received at about 1am, and four fire engines, an ambulance and seven support vehicles were deployed to the site.

The fire was brought under control within half an hour. All 25 employees onsite at the time evacuated themselves safely before the SCDF arrived.

SCDF said it was investigating the fire.

Yesterday afternoon, the SCDF was alerted to another fire raging on a reclaimed island off north-eastern Singapore.

From about 2pm, 10 firefighters battled to put out the flames on the island between Pulau Tekong and the mainland with the help of SCDF marine fire vessels. A Singapore Armed Forces marine vessel was also called in to help.

The fire, which affected an area the size of a football field, was contained within a sand bunk wall. SCDF said the fire affected construction-site machinery and products used in land reclamation.

The blaze, which sent plumes of thick black smoke high into the air, was extinguished at 6.30pm by SCDF.

Stomp contributor Matthew Ho, 39, who works as a credit controller, told my paper that he could see thick, black smoke in the air while driving along the East Coast Parkway at about 3.30pm.

"The smoke was very dark and thick, but I could not hear or smell anything," he said.