East Coast Park boat shed blaze sends smoke over ECP; firefighter taken to hospital

SINGAPORE – A fire broke out at a boat storage compound in East Coast Park on the afternoon of Oct 8, sending a massive plume of black smoke into the sky and one firefighter to the hospital.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force said it was alerted to the fire at about 3.20pm. The blaze involved the contents of a boat storage compound at the park and was put out with two water jets.

“Following the firefighting operation, a firefighter felt unwell and was taken to Singapore General Hospital as a precaution,” the SCDF said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Photos and videos of the incident quickly circulated on social media, showing thick, dark smoke rising above nearby trees, visible to motorists travelling along the ECP.

A motorist speaking to The Straits Times on condition of anonymity said she spotted the dense plume while driving down the highway at about 3.20pm and initially mistook it for haze, which has been blanketing parts of the island.

“I thought the haze got extra bad, then saw the plume when I got nearer,” she said.

A live broadcast of the incident on social media platform TikTok at about 4pm showed a firefighter being supported away from the scene by another emergency responder, with at least three fire engines, police officers and SCDF personnel deployed in the area.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The Straits Times has contacted the police and National Parks Board for more information.