Fire that led to death of 19-year-old firefighter at Henderson Road likely of electrical origin: SCDF

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The fire that led to the death of a firefighter was likely of electrical origin, from the bedroom of the two-room HDB unit where the fire started.

This was revealed through the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF)'s preliminary investigation, SCDF said in a Dec. 10 statement.

SCDF had been alerted to the fire at 91 Henderson Road in Bukit Merah on Dec. 8, at about 11:10am.

Upon SCDF's arrival, the fire was already raging inside the two-room HDB unit on the fourth floor.

Corporal Edward H Go, a 19-year-old full-time national serviceman (NSF), fell unconscious in the kitchen area during the operation.

He was then brought out of the unit and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was administered on him.

Go was subsequently conveyed to Singapore General Hospital (SGH), where he was pronounced dead.

SCDF shared that Go is the first firefighter to have fallen during an operation.

In their statement on Dec. 10, SCDF also issued a public advisory, strongly urging the public to keep their homes safe from electrical fires with the following fire safety measures:

• Never overload electrical outlets with electrical appliances
• Always switch off appliances when they are not in use
• Check the condition of wires regularly. Frayed wires or cracked cords should be replaced or repaired immediately
• Refrain from running wires under carpets or mats and keep wires away from hot surfaces
• Use appliances and electrical plugs bearing the SAFETY mark

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