A fire broke out on an oil tanker anchored in Singapore’s eastern waters on the morning of 20 June 2025. The incident prompted a rapid and large-scale response by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), with no injuries reported among the tanker’s crew.
SCDF was alerted to the emergency at 8:10am and deployed three marine rescue vessels, along with approximately 40 marine firefighting specialists. Personnel were dispatched from both Brani Marine Fire Station and West Coast Marine Fire Station to manage the situation.
Upon their arrival, responders observed thick black smoke emanating from a storeroom aboard the vessel. Firefighters employed a water monitor from one of the rescue vessels to perform boundary cooling, a method used to reduce the temperature of a vessel’s metal structure and contain the spread of fire.
Simultaneously, a separate firefighting team boarded the oil tanker to locate the source of the fire. According to SCDF, the team successfully extinguished the blaze using a water jet, containing the incident to the affected storeroom.
In a Facebook update, SCDF confirmed that all crew members were safe and accounted for. The authority emphasised that there were no injuries arising from the fire.
The affected tanker had been anchored in the waters east of Singapore, a region commonly used for maritime holding and logistics operations. While the name and ownership of the oil tanker have not been disclosed, the SCDF noted that the cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
Boundary cooling, the method used in this response, is a standard firefighting technique in marine incidents. It involves spraying water over the external surfaces of a vessel to prevent the spread of heat and fire to adjacent compartments or areas.
Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority has not issued an official statement at the time of reporting, and there has been no disruption to port activities or marine traffic in the region.
The post Fire breaks out on oil tanker anchored off Singapore’s eastern waters; no injuries reported appeared first on The Online Citizen.
