A fire broke out at a bak kwa shop in Little India on Sunday morning, February 15, just days ahead of Chinese New Year, disrupting hundreds of festive orders but leaving no one seriously injured.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that it was alerted to the blaze at about 11.40 am at a ground-floor unit at 30 Dunlop Street. The fire involved the contents of the kitchen exhaust ducting and was extinguished using a water jet and hose reel.
The affected shop, Century Bakkwa, had about 500kg of charcoal on its premises at the time. Owner Simbian Chua, who is in her 30s, posted on social media shortly after noon that firefighters were at the scene. An accompanying video showed smoke billowing through a back alley lined with shophouses.
Three employees were in the 1,000 sq ft flagship store, which opened in 2021, when the fire started. According to Chua, a spark was caught in the exhaust ducting, igniting the blaze.
SCDF said one person was assessed for breathing difficulties and another for minor injuries. Both declined to be taken to hospital.
One of the employees, Kang Teck Seng, 42, said he was barbecuing meat when he noticed smoke coming from the exhaust duct.
"I saw smoke coming out from the exhaust duct, and I quickly turned off the switch," he told The Straits Times. He sustained burns to his hands while attempting to remove the wire mesh from the charcoal stove. He and two colleagues later escaped through the back of the shop.
When access to the premises was restored after the area was cordoned off, the shop's power supply had been cut. Piles of uncooked bak kwa were left on preparation tables, while staff were seen removing packaged products. Chua said the salvaged stock would be delivered to the brand's outlet at Wisma Atria.
The incident has affected approximately 400 customer orders, valued at about S$100,000. Chua said she is prepared to offer refunds, though some customers have opted to wait to collect their purchases.
"It's okay, money can be earned again. But at least no one was seriously injured," she told The Straits Times.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
In a reminder to the public, particularly food stallholders, SCDF highlighted the importance of preventing kitchen exhaust duct fires. In an advisory infographic, the agency urged operators to keep stoves, surrounding areas and exhaust duct openings free from grease and oil buildup, and to ensure ducts are cleaned and maintained at least once a year.
