S'pore woman keeps eating char kway teow at Hong Lim Market despite fire, only leaves after sprinklers activated

A fire broke out earlier today at Hong Lim Market.

In response to Mothership's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) confirmed that they were alerted at 12:40 pm to a fire at 531A Upper Cross Street, which is the address of Hong Lim Market and Food Centre.

Here are some footage of folks getting away from the fire.

Not all were making haste though.

Anecdotes online shared how some had taken their food down with them as the fire raged.

Japanese food hawker Yuri Teng saw an even more nonplussed reaction.

She told The Straits Times that an auntie was "still eating" despite the fire.

Despite the cajoling of herself and other people to quickly evacuate, she ignored them.

Teng told ST she had only left after the sprinklers had been activated, taking her plate of char kway teow with her.

No injuries

Despite the blaze, there were thankfully no injuries.

Thanks in no small part to folks like Eddy Wan, 46, and his brother. Wan runs a food stall at the hawker.

They, along with other hawkers and patrons, helped to put out the fire, which is believed to have started at Ho Kee Seafood.

His brother used the fire extinguisher to help put out the fire. Eddy told Mothership that the entire thing sparked off incredibly quickly.

The fire spread up, and everyone scattered.

Except the uncle at Ho Kee Seafood, who he said was too shocked to move.

Eddy didn't hesitate. He ran right back to get the uncle out.

Some of that bravery could be attributed to the fire safety courses he took during his time as a private chef.

That helped him quickly think through the steps needed to help mitigate the fire before his brother stepped in with the fire extinguisher.

But his thoughts during the fire were a bit less complicated than the fire safety steps he was probably instinctively going through.

"Human life, that's all."

SCDF said the fire involved the kitchen exhaust ducting on the second floor, which was extinguished using three water jets.

Four people were evacuated by SCDF from the affected block as a precautionary measure.

SCDF said that there were no reported injuries, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

SCDF said they would like to remind the public, especially stall holders, on the prevention of kitchen exhaust ducting fires.

Image from 顏宜興/Google Maps and Joven Chiam