Fire breaks out in Punggol flat bathroom while woman showering, family of 6 escape safely

A family of six managed to escape a Punggol flat after a fire broke out in the bathroom in the early hours of Oct. 4.

The unit was occupied by Singapore host and content creator Juffri Alui and his family.

Fire in common toilet

Speaking to Mothership, Juffri said his wife was showering in the common toilet when she heard a crackling sound and detected a smoke smell.

He later saw flames at the LED light compartment that also housed wiring above the toilet bowl inside the bathroom.

Flames were seen trickling down as it appeared that the area on fire had melted.

Firefighters doused flames

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) were alerted, and firefighters extinguished the fire using a fire hose located outside the home, Juffri said.

He later posted videos of the incident online in hopes of raising awareness about electrical safety issues.

Crackling sound and smoke smell

Juffri said his family of six had just returned from their trip to Johor Bahru, Malaysia and had put their four children, including their seven-month-old baby, to bed.

His wife was showering in the common toilet when she detected hints that a fire had started.

She alerted Juffri, and the couple decided to switch off the water heater while she quickly finished showering.

After she left the bathroom, Juffri said the smell of smoke grew stronger.

He went to investigate and saw a small fire at the LED light box.

He immediately told his wife to wake the children and evacuate the flat.

Juffri called 995 at 4:36am and remained inside briefly to monitor the fire while waiting for help.

SCDF arrived and put the fire out within 10 minutes.

Soot and ash were seen on the toilet bowl and floor of the bathroom in the aftermath of the fire.

SCDF checked that all six family members were accounted for and asked if any of them required medical assistance, Juffri said.

“Thank God we got out quick and all six of us are safe,” he added.

He said a similar incident previously occurred in the master bedroom, where the family noticed smoke and a crackling sound, although no fire occurred.

Juffri said his wife originally moved into the Built-to-Order (BTO) flat about two years ago.