More than 100 people were evacuated from the Junction 8 Mall in Bishan yesterday (Aug 11) after a fire broke out in a restaurant.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that it was alerted to the fire at 9 Bishan Place at about 7.10pm that day. That is the address of Junction 8.
The fire – which involved a table grill and exhaust ducting in the dining area of a restaurant on the first floor – was extinguished by firefighters using a hosereel, said SCDF.
The Straits Times understands that the fire broke out at Yakiniku Like, a Japanese BBQ restaurant, and that patrons at neighbouring eateries were also asked to leave.
About 120 people were evacuated from the affected building by the police and SCDF as a precaution.
In its Aug 12 reply to queries from ST, a Junction 8 spokesperson said an employee from a neighbouring tenant was taken to the hospital for medical assessment after indicating discomfort following smoke exposure. No other injuries were reported.
SCDF said the person was taken to Singapore General Hospital.
“The affected restaurant is temporarily closed,” the Junction 8 spokesperson added. “The rest of the mall remains open and operating as usual.”
The spokesperson said the building’s safety measures were activated immediately, including the automated sprinkler system and fire curtain, when it received an alert about a small fire on Level 1.
When ST arrived at the scene at 7.45pm, customers and staff from nearby shops up to 40m away had been evacuated.
Fire-resistant curtains on the second floor were deployed to prevent smoke from seeping into other levels, as the restaurant sits directly below two escalators.
“I only ate three pieces,” said a man who carried his tray out of the eatery, with smoke spewing behind him. “We saw the fire in the vent and just ran quickly.”
He was seated behind the table where a grill had caught fire.
Restaurant staff, who were also asked by mall officials to leave the premises, assured him his half-eaten meal would be on the house.
An eatery employee who declined to be identified said this was the first time a fire like this had happened.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. THE STRAITS TIMES
