Kranji recycling centre fire extinguished after 4 days of firefighting: SCDF

The massive fire that engulfed a recycling centre in Kranji was finally extinguished four days after it first broke out on Feb. 19, said the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) in a statement on Feb. 23.

The fire led to one person being conveyed to the hospital for smoke inhalation and burn injuries.

M1, StarHub, and SingTel subscribers who were in the vicinity, as well as SGSecure app users, received text alerts advising them to avoid the area.

The warehouse, located at 11 Kranji Crescent, is operated by the recycling and waste management company Wah & Hua.

The fire, said the SCDF, involved waste materials at the centre.

"Over the past four days, SCDF worked round-the-clock to douse the deep-seated pockets of fire within the waste heaps," it said.

At the height of the operation, six water jets, four unmanned firefighting machines, and a Combined Platform Ladder were deployed to contain the fire.

The SCDF is now scaling down its resources, deploying a fire engine and crew to remain at the premises.

They will watch over the area that was affected by the fire as a precautionary measure.

"SCDF will also progressively hand over the site to the premises owner for their recovery operations," SCDF said.

Facility cited multiple times for fire safety violations in the past

Some parts of the facility have been severely damaged. The roofs of a warehouse and an office building collapsed in the aftermath of the fire.

The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has ordered the facility’s owner to seal off access to the affected structures in the interim, and engage a professional engineer to recommend rectification works.

According to the SCDF, Wah & Hua was cited seven times for fire safety violations between 2018 and 2024.

The SCDF issued three notices of offences for severe violations like unauthorised fire safety works.

The remaining four were fire hazard abatement notices for violations such as faulty exit signs and obstructions to exit doors and firefighting equipment.

Within the seven-year span, the SCDF conducted 10 inspections at the facility and responded to three fires, which were found to be accidental.

It also emerged that the CEO of Wah & Hua is a long-time volunteer with the People's Action Party, whose appearances in Bedok and Fengshan last November sparked speculation that she might be a potential candidate in the upcoming general election.

Top image via SCDF/Facebook