Man in underwear moves car away from burning car in Boon Keng car park, gets scolded by police officer

A car caught fire in the open-air car park at Block 111 McNair Road on May 1 at about 8pm.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said the fire involved the engine compartment of a car.

SCDF extinguished the fire using a water jet.

There were no reported injuries.

Driver saved car beside burning car

The blaze was caught on video by a person in the estate.

It showed SCDF and police officers at the scene.

Shouts of "Go away" could be heard as the officers on the ground were apparently warning a driver not to approach the blaze to save his car that was parked beside the burning vehicle.

A voice off-camera concurred and said: "Crazy fellow."

The person who uploaded the video told Mothership that the driver was seen running to save his car wearing only his underwear.

After the car pulled out of the lot and turned right to stop in front of the row of parked cars, two officers were seen confronting the driver.

One of them audibly banged on the rear door of the car with his fist, while another officer told the driver to, "Come outside."

The side of the car appeared to have been covered in soot after it pulled out of the lot next to the burning car.

The car that was moved was apparently allowed to leave, according to the eyewitness.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

In response to Mothership's queries, the police said the driver of the car exited the parking lot and turned right towards SCDF officers who were in the midst of setting up hoses in the car park.

"A police officer quickly intervened to knock on his car door to get his attention, and to direct him away from the ongoing SCDF operations," the police added.

The police also said: "Members of the public are advised to follow the instructions of officers at fire scenes for their own safety."

Responses

Responses to the video were divided.

While some chastised the driver for risking his life and safety to save his car from the burning car next to it, others approved of his actions.

Some said that cars in Singapore are expensive, despite many comments saying the person was risking his safety.

Others commended the driver for removing the car as this might have prevented the fire from spreading to the other vehicles down the line.

Other commenters also questioned the police officer's need to hit the car door so hard to get the driver to comply with instructions.

Top photos via @dennistehhh Instagram