SINGAPORE – A fire at a boat storage compound in East Coast Park sent a massive plume of black smoke into the sky on the afternoon of Oct 8, with one firefighter taken to hospital after firefighting operations.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force said it was alerted to the fire at about 3.20pm. The blaze involved the contents of the shed and was put out with two water jets.
“Following the firefighting operation, a firefighter felt unwell and was taken to Singapore General Hospital as a precaution,” the SCDF said.
Photos and videos of the incident quickly circulated on social media, showing thick, dark smoke rising above nearby trees, visible to motorists travelling along the ECP.
A motorist, speaking to The Straits Times on condition of anonymity, said she spotted the dense plume while driving down the highway at about 3.20pm and initially mistook it for haze, which has been blanketing parts of the island.
“I thought the haze got extra bad, then saw the plume when I got nearer,” she said.
A live broadcast of the incident on social media platform TikTok at about 4pm showed a firefighter being supported away from the scene by another emergency responder, with at least three fire engines, police officers and SCDF personnel deployed in the area.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
ST has contacted the police and National Parks Board for more information.
Overall fire incidents across Singapore increased by 3% in 2025, reaching 2,050 cases compared with 1,990 cases in 2024.
A total of 471 fire cases occurred in non-residential premises in 2025, marking a 13.5% rise from the year before, with electrical issues triggering nearly half (43.5%) of the mishaps.