'What if the hydrant had worked?' Man claims faulty pipe delayed SCDF's response to East Coast fire
A fire broke out along East Coast Road on Monday (Jan 9) at 11.50pm, causing damage to four terrace houses while 20 residents were evacuated.
While Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) firefighters had successfully extinguished the blaze at about 1.50am, a man is claiming that they could have done so sooner.
Taking to TikTok on the same day, Eastcoastfire100123 shared a number of video clips of the massive fire gutting the second floor of a terrace house.
[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@eastcoastfire100123/video/7186689737707539714?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=71719863256869125[/embed]
In a subsequent video, the man could be seen filming and commentating on the blaze.
Describing how it was 12.10am at that time, Eastcoastfire100123 claimed the firefighters there were struggling to connect their hose to a fire hydrant.
Three firefighters were seen in the nine-second clip, with one of them spraying water with a hose attached to a Red Rhino.
The man said: "The water can't even pump into the fire. What kind of fire responders are these?
"Now the fire has spread to [three houses], because we wasted more than 20 minutes. This is really an embarrassment."
But in another video, Eastcoastfire100123 shared that the firefighters were still "looking for a fire hydrant all the way at the back".
"Fire is spreading to two other houses, but they are trying their best," he said.
[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@eastcoastfire100123/video/7186779767218244866?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=71719863256869125[/embed]
Eastcoastfire100123 later shared a photo montage clip that purportedly showed the damage caused by the fire.
While thanking those who helped in the blaze, he said: "Those who lost their homes wish things could have been different. What if the fire hydrant had worked?"
From the videos, it is unclear if Eastcoastfire100123 is a passer-by or a resident living in the vicinity.
'His saliva could've put out the fire'
After the TikTok videos were reshared on other social media accounts, several netizens chided the "unappreciative" man for standing on the sidelines.
"His saliva could've put out the fire," a man sarcastically commented, while another 'applauded' Eastcoastfire100123's "expert commentating".
Fire hydrants in working order
In a statement released on Wednesday (Jan 11), the Public Utilities Board (PUB) shared they are aware of online comments that SCDF experienced difficulty operating a fire hydrant near 12S East Coast Road during firefighting operations.
Checks on Tuesday showed that the fire hydrants in the vicinity were in working order, they said.
The agency added that there was sufficient water pressure within its supply network to support SCDF operations at the location, The Straits Times reported.
Regular inspections and maintenance are conducted on all fire hydrants in Singapore, according to PUB.
"“(Our) records show that the hydrants along East Coast Road were last inspected and serviced in March 2022," they said, adding that it is working with SCDF to ascertain the facts of the incident.
SCDF: Fire had already spread when firefighters arrived
In a Facebook post on Tuesday (Jan 10), the SCDF shared that the fire had already spread to four terrace houses when firefighters arrived at the location.
A combined platform ladder for aerial firefighting, as well as six water jets at the height of the operation, the SCDF said.
[embed]https://www.facebook.com/SCDFpage/posts/pfbid02dNoSLYyrVnxToiZCPSbfphg394AmF6yLc2KsibVS4ahssjDhD6XmwoBQibh4jFaPl[/embed]
They added: "A person was assessed by an SCDF paramedic for minor burn injury and conveyed to the Singapore General Hospital.
"The cause of the fire is under investigation."
AsiaOne has contacted SCDF for comment to Eastcoastfire100123's videos.
chingshijie@asiaone.com
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