The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) encountered problems trying to put out a fire on Aug. 29 at a 20th-storey Toa Payoh flat at The Peak.

SCDF said in a media release on Wednesday, Sept. 9 that its personnel discovered that the block’s wet riser, to which water jets are connected, was not functioning when carrying out its operations.

"As a general practice, both hose reels and water jets are deployed simultaneously in firefighting operations," SCDF said.

However, the failure to use the water jets did not hamper SCDF in carrying out its rescue.

SCDF managed to rescue trapped persons

"In the case of the fire at The Peak, SCDF officers could promptly enter one of the affected units to rescue two trapped persons with the use of hose reels. The fires at both HDB units were effectively extinguished using the hose reels."

Hose reels are generally faster to operate but have a lower flow rate, which makes them more suitable for smaller fires or incidents which require fast responses, SCDF explained.

Water jets, on the other hand, have a higher flow rate but require more time to set up.

SCDF said a notice was issued to the Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council on Sept. 4 about the wet riser system, and that issue has been fixed.

"SCDF is still investigating the cause of the malfunction and will take further enforcement action against the responsible parties where necessary," it added.

This was not the only issue.

Another issue

SCDF had also "encountered difficulty" entering the estate due to space constraints at one entrance.

One of the emergency vehicles deployed to the scene could not enter.

Infrastructural constraints prevented SCDF vehicle from entering

Designated entry and exit points were in place for emergency vehicles under the 2007 Fire Code, which applied to the building plan for The Peak when it was constructed, but the fire code back then did not require signage to indicate designated entry and exit points, SCDF said.

While emergency vehicles could exit, they would have problems entering.

SCDF explained the nature of the problem in their statement.

The vehicle, known as the Combined Platform Ladder (CPL), "inadvertently attempted to enter the estate" using the designated exit for emergency vehicles.

"The designated exit allowed for a sufficient turning radius for emergency vehicles to exit, but not for entering, due to other infrastructural constraints such as a linkway roof and road divider curbs," said the SCDF in a media release.

The SCDP personnel was "unable to enter via the designated exit as it did not have a sufficient turning radius and clearance".

The other vehicles, which used the designated entry, were able to reach the site without any issues, SCDF added.

What happened

Three people were taken to hospital as a result of the fire which broke out in a 20th-floor flat in the early hours of Aug 29.

About 300 residents were evacuated.

A total of 11 emergency vehicles were deployed.

SCDF said it was responding to media queries and online feedback about the incident, and explained its use of hose reels instead of water jets to fight the fire.