‘Everything was gone in minutes’: Factory worker recalls seeing spark moments before Eunos fire

after 5½ hours at around 11pm.

When ST visited the scene on the morning of Nov 2, damping-down operations – applying water to wet burnt surfaces to prevent potential rekindling of the fire – were still continuing, more than 12 hours after the blaze was put out.

Mr Jhantu was working at one of three workshop units affected by the fire. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said a fourth unit was partially affected at the roof area.

A large section of the roads leading to 1079 Eunos Avenue 7, where the fire took place, were still cordoned off on Nov 2.

ST approached Mr Jhantu, who has been working at Best Doors for 12 years, as he stood by the police cordon with his bicycle, looking at what remained of the burnt building on Nov 2.

“After I saw the spark, I ran to the office within the factory to tell everyone. I wanted to extinguish it, but I couldn’t because it was too high up,” he said.

“When we got out, we saw that the fire had spread everywhere within a few minutes. Some of us used fire extinguishers to fight the fire, but we just couldn’t. Everything was gone in minutes.”

An emotional Mr Jhantu said: “I’ve been working at Best Doors for 12 years. I feel so sad. I almost cried yesterday. I couldn’t do anything.”

Sixteen emergency vehicles and about 60 firefighters were deployed to put out the blaze on Nov 1.

On Nov 2, a burnt smell lingered as curious passers-by stopped to check out the aftermath of the fire.

At least a dozen firefighters and three fire trucks were seen. Police officers were also directing pedestrians and motorists to take other routes, given the road closures.

Workers from nearby industrial units told ST they did not know how badly the fire had damaged the area until they came to work on the morning of Nov 2.

One worker, who declined to be identified, said he and his co-workers had knocked off work at 5pm on Nov 1 and had no idea a fire had broken out until they saw news reports.

“The fire must have been serious enough for the firefighters to still be here today,” he said.

A bystander, Mr Patrick Tan, said he was working at a high-rise warehouse in the nearby Ubi industrial area on Nov 1 when he saw black smoke rising in the distance.

“I was around 1km away and yet I could see how big the fire was from there. I saw photos from the news and decided to come down today to take a look. It’s a pity this has happened,” said the 65-year-old hardware worker.

No injuries were reported, but SCDF said a firefighter was assessed for suspected smoke inhalation and taken to the Singapore General Hospital. Another firefighter who felt unwell was taken to Changi General Hospital.

Both have since been discharged and given medical leave.

On Nov 2, the Building and Construction Authority said it would order the building owner to

for further checks and rectification works.

The building owner would also need to appoint a professional engineer to advise on the necessary precautions to remove any immediate danger, investigate the affected structure and recommend permanent rectifications.