A simple meal preparation turned into a harrowing nightmare for one family in Sengkang late Friday night (April 16), when their kitchen caught fire.
One occupant of the four-room Compassvale flat, a 40-year-old preschool teacher, suffered burns to her hands after attempting to put out the flames.
Image source: Facebook / He Ting Ru
In an interview with Lianhe Wanbao, the homeowner described how she was in the kitchen at about 11.15pm, preparing the family’s breakfast for the next morning. There were two pots on the stove, one containing some gravy and the other contained oil for deep-frying chicken.
“I was very tired at the time, so I sat on the sofa in the living room to rest for a while and scrolled through my mobile phone,” said the woman.
Not knowing how much time had passed, she was suddenly alerted to a strong burning smell and rushed to the kitchen to check.
To her horror, she discovered flames engulfing both pots on the stove, with the fire emitting thick plumes of smoke. She hurried to the bedrooms to wake her husband and children before rushing back to the kitchen to try and put out the fire.
Image source: Facebook / He Ting Ru
In a state of panic, she threw a bucket of water over the stove, not realising that the action would cause an adverse reaction. The burning oil splashed out as a result, spreading the grease fire in the process.
“I instinctively put my hands up to protect my face and my arms got burnt,” said the woman.
Her husband, a 43-year-old technician, told Wanbao that it was then that he heard a scream coming from the kitchen.
“My wife rushed out from the kitchen and both her hands were red and swollen.”
Shaken and afraid, the family of six escaped from their home before the fire spread even further. They sought help from neighbours to dial 995. After the ambulance arrived, the woman was conveyed to Singapore General Hospital.
Member of Parliament for Sengkang GRC He Ting Ru posted about the incident on her Facebook page, indicating that the town council had visited the family and the unit. She noted that “luckily most of the damage had been contained to the kitchen, with pipes and most of the appliances in the kitchen destroyed by the blaze.”
Photos of the soot-filled kitchen showed most of the kitchen countertop destroyed by the fire, with blackened walls and cabinets.
According to the Singapore Civill Defence Force, the fire was put out in the kitchen of the four-room HDB flat using a single hose. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
What To Do In Case Of Fire At Home
Image source: iStock
Irrespective of the fact that your building has fire-fighting equipment, it is important to know what to do in case of a fire situation at home. This is especially true if your kids are still within the premises. To keep your family safe from any serious burn injuries, here’s what to do in case of fire and protect your kids:
1. Place a wet cloth over their mouths so that the water can act as a filter from any smoke. As much as possible, avoid inhaling smoke from the fire since inhalation of poisonous gas can cause death by asphyxiation.
2. Alway stay focused to find the nearest exit. Know beforehand your home or building’s escape route in case of fires. It would also help to teach your kids what to do and where to go in case of a fire at your home.
3. Alert your kids to stay low on their hands and knees as you make your way out. Crawling on the floor can prevent you from breathing in smoke since it would naturally rise up. This enables you to crawl under most of it.
4. Stop, drop and roll! If your clothes catch on fire, remember to stop, drop to the ground and roll around until you put out the flames.
5. Contact the SCDF when the situation gets worse. In case of emergencies that need immediate attention, call 995.
This article was first published in AsiaOne and republished on theAsianparent with permission.
Lead image source from Lianhe Wanbao and Facebook / He Ting Ru. Additional inputs from theAsianparent.
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