Faulty dry rising main forced firefighters to haul hose up 8 floors in fatal Clementi fire

Firefighting efforts at a fatal blaze in Clementi, Singapore, were significantly hindered by a malfunctioning dry rising main, forcing firefighters to resort to a manual hose deployment up eight floors. The building's integrated firefighting system failed to provide sufficient water pressure, complicating the response to the fire that broke out Friday night.

Responding to the incident at Block 309 Clementi Avenue 4, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) discovered the dry rising main was not working properly. This critical pipe system is designed to deliver water from fire engines to upper floors. Without it functioning, firefighters had to establish a direct hose connection from the ground level, carrying equipment up the staircases to the affected eighth floor.

"SCDF firefighters immediately set up hoses directly from the fire engine at ground level to the affected floor via the staircase,” the SCDF stated, noting this is a standard contingency procedure regularly practiced during drills. The SCDF is investigating the exact cause of the system failure, and the town council responsible for the building's maintenance has been directed to rectify the dry rising main.

The fire, which occurred around 11:10 p.m. on Friday, resulted in one fatality and injuries to two firefighters. A person trapped in the kitchen was rescued but later died in the hospital. One of the injured firefighters has since been discharged. This incident echoes a similar case in July 2025, where a faulty dry rising main in Toa Payoh also forced firefighters to haul hoses up ten stories.

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SCDF firefighters immediately set up hoses directly from the fire engine at ground level to the affected floor via the staircase.