The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) revealed on 21 February that the warehouse at 11 Kranji Crescent, which caught fire on 19 February, had been cited seven times for fire safety violations between 2018 and 2024.
The facility was issued three notices of offence for severe breaches, including unauthorised fire safety works involving the erection of a steel platform.
Such notices can result in fines up to S$5,000 once rectified. Failure to address these issues may lead to prosecution, with penalties reaching S$200,000, a maximum jail term of 24 months, or both, upon conviction.
Additionally, the facility received four fire hazard abatement notices during the same period for issues like faulty exit signs and obstructions to exit doors, hose reels, and fire extinguishers.
Online records, including Google Maps, indicate that the location is occupied by recycling and waste management firm Wah & Hua, which also lists it as its address.
The SCDF conducted ten inspections at the warehouse and responded to three fires: on 22 March 2018, 20 June 2023, and 28 March 2024.
Investigations determined these incidents were accidental, caused by smouldering embers or spontaneous ignition of general waste materials.
In response to the recent fire, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) ordered the facility’s owner on 21 February to restrict access to affected structures.
The blaze led to the collapse of the metal roof in a single-storey warehouse and part of the roof of a two-storey office building.
The BCA has mandated that the owner appoint a professional engineer to assess the damage, recommend immediate safety measures, conduct a detailed investigation, and propose permanent rectification works.
One individual was hospitalised for burn injuries and smoke inhalation following the 19 February incident.
The SCDF’s extensive firefighting efforts included deploying six water jets, four unmanned firefighting machines, an unmanned aerial vehicle, and a combined platform ladder.
Ms Melissa Tan, the CEO of Wah & Hua since 2000, has been a People’s Action Party (PAP) volunteer for nearly two decades.
She became active in the party’s Fengshan ward towards the end of last year, transitioning from her previous involvement in Hong Kah North, represented by Senior Minister of State Amy Khor.
Ms Tan was first observed at a party outreach event in Fengshan last November, distributing PAP teddy bears alongside MP Cheryl Chan.
Since then, she has regularly participated in community engagements with Ms Chan and was recently seen with the five East Coast GRC MPs during the Chingay parade in the heartlands.
Under Ms Tan’s leadership, Wah & Hua sold a majority stake to integrated waste management firm Blue Planet Environmental Solutions and established a joint venture with environmental and energy firm China Tianying to develop a waste-to-energy plant.
The recent fire and the facility’s history of safety violations have raised concerns, especially given Ms Tan’s potential candidacy in the upcoming elections. The PAP has yet to comment on the matter.
Photo of Wah & Hua at 11 Kranji Crescent from Google Maps
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