13 people evacuated from Aljunied flat fire likely started by lit candle

SINGAPORE — Thirteen people were evacuated from a housing block in Aljunied on Friday (Aug 19) morning after a fire, likely caused by a lit candle, broke out in a flat on the sixth floor.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said in a statement that it was alerted to the fire at Block 3, Upper Aljunied Lane at around 7.05am and evacuated about 10 people from the nearby apartments.

Three others had self-evacuated before the firefighters' arrival.

Two people were assessed as a precautionary measure and they then refused to be taken to the hospital, SCDF added.

The fire, which was linked to contents in a flat's living room and was contained within it, was extinguished using a water jet.

Preliminary investigation showed that a lit candle in the living room of the sixth-floor flat may be the cause of the fire.

SCDF reminded the public not to leave lighted materials such as candles, tealights or lighted incense sticks unattended and to extinguish such materials before leaving home.

On Tuesday, a resident was killed and three others rescued from a next-door unit after a fire broke out in a flat at Jurong East.

A second fire at the same flat broke out early on Wednesday morning, likely due to deep-seated embers.