SINGAPORE: A faulty dry riser that hampered firefighting efforts during a blaze at Block 229 Lorong 8 Toa Payoh on 29 July 2025 could have been caused by an underground pipe leak.
Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council confirmed this possible cause on 31 July, adding that the riser had passed its last inspection less than a year ago.
The fire, which broke out on Tuesday afternoon, engulfed a flat on the 10th floor before spreading to a unit on the 11th.
Seven people, including a firefighter and a child, were taken to hospital.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) revealed on Wednesday that firefighters were unable to charge water up to the affected floors because the dry rising main was not functioning correctly.
As a result, firefighters had to lay hoses directly from the fire engine at ground level up the staircase to the 10th and 11th floors.
The dry rising main is a vertical pipe designed to remain dry until a fire engine pumps water through it during a blaze, providing quick access to water for upper-floor firefighting.
Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council said it learned of the malfunction only after SCDF extinguished the fire and both parties carried out a joint inspection.
According to SCDF requirements, a dry riser must undergo a hydrostatic test every year to detect leaks or other faults.
The town council stated that the last test for the dry riser at Block 229 was conducted by an authorised fire prevention contractor on 28 August 2024 and the system was found to be in working condition.
A follow-up inspection is scheduled for 5 August 2025.
In its statement, the town council said: “In our discussion with SCDF, the probable reason for the failure of the dry riser could be due to an underground pipe leak.
The annual hydrostatic test includes checks to detect such leaks.”
Residents earlier told Lianhe Zaobao they observed firefighters struggling with the faulty dry riser.
Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council also clarified that the fire suppression system failure at Block 229 is unrelated to an earlier incident in August 2020 at Block 138C Lorong 1A Toa Payoh.
In that 2020 incident, a wet riser system failed during a high-rise fire at The Peak on 29 August 2020.
Emergency responders then discovered that the wet riser was not working, forcing crews to use hose reels instead.
Three people were taken to hospital and about 300 residents were evacuated.
Following the 2020 incident, the town council engaged a professional engineer for an independent probe.
It was found that the wet riser had no signs of failure, and the likely cause was the accidental closure of the riser isolation switch by a contractor during routine checks.
SCDF later carried out thorough inspections and confirmed that all fire safety systems were in good order.
The wet riser at Block 138C Lorong 1A Toa Payoh remains in working condition.
Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council is currently led by Singapore’s Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat, with Saktiandi Supaat serving as the Member of Parliament overseeing ward Toa Payoh East.
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