Disclosure of confirmed causes of residential fires following completion of investigations

Question:

Mr Cai Yinzhou: To ask the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) in what proportion of residential fires SCDF publicly discloses the confirmed cause after the completion of an investigation; and (b) whether SCDF will publish periodic bulletins on fire causes and non-identifiable case examples, like the Workplace Safety and Health Council’s safety bulletins which cites case studies.


Answer:

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

1. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) publishes the causes of all residential fires in its annual fire statistics. In 2025, the top three causes of residential fires were unattended cooking, electrical origin and naked light such as candle flames.

2. SCDF already leverages a range of platforms to raise fire safety awareness and share information on common fire causes and preventive measures. For example, SCDF partners the People’s Association and Community Emergency and Engagement Committees to organise Community Resilience Days in the heartlands. On social media, SCDF shares information on common causes of residential fires and preventive measures. In the case of commercial and industrial fires, we also share case studies of notable fire incidents and lessons learnt with industry and professional bodies, including at seminars for company emergency response teams and fire safety managers.