Quick-thinking members of the public sprang into action after a fire<\/a> broke out near Albert Centre Market and Food Centre in Bugis on June 27.<\/p>\n Stomper Robert <\/strong>was riding his motorcycle past the area at around 2.15pm when he spotted the blaze.<\/p>\n Videos captured by his pocket camera show members of the public using buckets of water and fire extinguishers in an attempt to douse the flames before firefighters arrived. Smoke can be seen billowing from a pile of burnt debris beside the pavement.<\/p>\n Photos taken later show firefighters and a fire engine at the scene.<\/p>\n In response to a Stomp query, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the fire near Block 270 Queen Street at about 2.15pm.<\/p>\n \u201cThe fire, which involved discarded items along the pavement, was extinguished by SCDF using a hosereel,\u201d an SCDF spokesperson said.<\/p>\n There were no reported injuries and the cause of the fire is under investigation.<\/p>\n Chinese-language daily Lianhe Zaobao<\/a> reported that the fire involved a pile of discarded cardboard and paper that had been stored at an open space beside the food centre.<\/p>\n According to the report, a 77-year-old retiree had been collecting and storing cardboard there for more than 10 years.<\/p>\n He said he had brought the cardboard he collected that morning to the site at about 6am before returning to his nearby home to rest.<\/p>\n \u201cSomeone knocked on my door during lunchtime saying there was a fire,\u201d he said. \u201cI ran downstairs to check and found the cardboard had been burned.\u201d<\/p>\n The retiree said the latest fire destroyed about half of his cardboard collection, estimated to weigh around 100kg, which he described as the \u201cfruit of his labour\u201d for half a day\u2019s work.<\/p>\n He also claimed that someone had discarded a lit cigarette butt at the same spot in January, causing a similar fire, and suspected the latest blaze may have started the same way.<\/p>\n Although he said he would no longer store cardboard there, he lamented that doing so would \u201conly benefit other garbage collectors\u201d.<\/p>\n Several members of the public told Zaobao that the retiree had previously been reported for storing cardboard in the public space, but the piles would reappear shortly afterwards.<\/p>\n One nearby shop owner said the cardboard was stored close to a gas valve, raising concerns<\/a> that it could spark a more serious fire.<\/p>\n Have something to say? Join in!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Explore more on these topics<\/p>\n<\/div>\n See something interesting? Contribute<\/a> your story to us.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\nResidents and shop owners had raised concerns over cardboard pile<\/h2>\n
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