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Ministry of Home Affairs
Written Replies to Parliamentary Questions

Audits at HDB block coffee shops to identify and mitigate fire risks

4 August 2026

Question:

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng: To ask the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs with regard to the fire at Block 269B Queen Street in March 2026, whether additional preventive measures and firesafety audits can be conducted at coffeeshops in HDB blocks to identify and mitigate fire hazards and risks, so as to prevent and minimise the recurrence of such fires.

Answer:

Mr K Shanmugam, Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs:

1. Under the Fire Code, food and beverage establishments, including coffee shops, are subject to a comprehensive suite of requirements to minimise fire risk. These requirements include measures to reduce the risk of a fire from cooking-related activities as well as to ensure the safety of people in the coffeeshop in the event of a fire.

2. To ensure Fire Code compliance, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) also conducts enforcement checks on food and beverage establishments. These include both scheduled visits and unannounced inspections based on public feedback. These inspections complement the annual fire safety checks conducted at coffee shops by the Housing & Development Board (HDB), as well as other regulations imposed as part of HDB's licensing conditions.

3. These fire safety measures and enforcement checks remain adequate. The number of fires at coffeeshops in HDB blocks has remained largely constant between 2021 and 2025, ranging from 15 to 19 cases annually. This translates to under 1% of the total fire incidents per annum. Nonetheless, SCDF will continue to monitor fire trends involving HDB coffeeshops and work with related agencies such as the HDB and NEA to take the appropriate intervention measures if required.

4. Nevertheless, it is important that we remain vigilant and mitigate fire risks as best we can. We urge all stall operators to uphold good fire safety practices and do their part to keep our community safe.

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