A fire the size of a football field broke out at Lim Chu Kang Chinese Cemetery on Oct. 15, 2023 night.

This is the third reported vegetation fire in Singapore for the month after similar fires broke out in Tampines and Pasir Ris earlier.

Multiple areas on fire

According to @abgzack591's video of the incident on TikTok, multiple spots in an area spanning across a considerable distance were engulfed in flames.

A police vehicle could be seen at the scene.

@abgzack591 said the video was taken around 10pm on Oct. 15, 2023.

Another TikTok video from @mxhdnxh showed a closeup of the fire, in which plumes of smoke could be seen rising from the plots of grass that were lit ablaze.

More police cars and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) vehicles could be seen in another TikTok video from @boulevardofdreams_.

No casualties

SCDF said they were alerted at around 7:25pm on Oct. 15, 2023, to the fire near Chinese Cemetery Path 13.

SCDF used two hose reels to extinguish the fire, approximately the size of one football field.

There were no reported injuries.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Third reported vegetation fire this month

Two separate fires broke out in Pasir Ris and Tampines on Oct. 8, 2023, and Oct. 9, 2023, respectively.

The National Parks Board (NParks) said then that it was working with SCDF to determine the cause of the fires.

In the meantime, NParks said it would reduce the vegetation on trails and increase the frequency of park inspections during dry periods as a precaution.

Additionally, the public should refrain from using open flames in park areas, with the exception of barbeque pits and campfire areas, and must dispose of flammable items responsibly.

Vegetation fires typically occur in public spaces and are commonly caused by discarded lit cigarette butts and burning incense left unattended.

Dry and hot weather due to El Niño

Besides this, NParks added that dry weather could pose a risk of vegetation fires.

Singapore is currently experiencing dry and hot weather due to the El Niño weather pattern.

El Niño, a large-scale climate phenomenon over the tropical Pacific Ocean, typically brings drier and warmer weather to much of Southeast Asia, but may also cause heavy rains or extreme weather events in other parts of the world.

If you did not already know, the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) declared the onset of El Niño on Aug. 11, 2023.

In a later statement on Oct. 6, 2023, MSS said El Niño conditions are predicted to strengthen until November or December 2023 and then persist until at least the start of 2024.

Massive blaze in 2019

This is not the first time a fire has broken out in Lim Chu Kang.

The SCDF was involved in a massive firefighting operation near the Chinese Cemetery involving eight emergency vehicles and 52 firefighters in March 2019.

The firefighters had to work through the night to put out the football-sized fire due to the thick vegetation and windy conditions.

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Top image from @mxhdnxh/TikTok and @boulevardofdreams_/TikTok