Person found dead after early morning flat fire in Jurong East — SCDF reminds public of top home fire risks

SINGAPORE: A person was found dead after a fire broke out in a residential unit on the third floor of Block 339, Jurong East Avenue 1 in the early hours of Sunday morning, August 16, 2026.

SCDF was alerted to the fire at about 3:55 a.m. Upon arrival, officers observed black smoke emitting from the unit’s living room and conducted forcible entry. The fire, which involved items in the living room, was extinguished with one water jet.

During the firefighting operation, firefighters found an unresponsive person in the living room. The person was pronounced dead at the scene by a paramedic. About 50 residents from the affected block were evacuated by the Police and SCDF as a precautionary measure.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

A reminder on home fire safety

The fatality comes days after SCDF issued a timely reminder that fire safety begins at home, and that the top three causes of residential fires in Singapore are unattended cooking, electrical faults, and lighted materials left unattended.

SCDF urged residents to stay attentive, install Home Fire Alarm Devices in their homes, and equip themselves with emergency preparedness skills. Early detection through a working fire alarm can be the difference between a fire that is caught quickly and one that becomes fatal.

Residents are encouraged to join SCDF’s Responders Plus Programme, which equips participants with core lifesaving skills. Sign-ups are available at go.gov.sg/scdfrpp. The 10th edition of the Civil Defence Emergency Handbook, which contains practical fire safety advice and emergency preparedness tips, can be downloaded at go.gov.sg/cdemergencyhandbook.

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