Fire breaks out at bak kwa shop, causing delivery delays

SINGAPORE: Some customers may receive their bak kwa orders late, said the owner of Century Bakkwa, after a fire broke out at its store along Dunlop Street on Sunday (Feb 15).

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to a fire at 30 Dunlop Street at about 11.40am.

A check by CNA showed that the address matches that of a Century Bakkwa shophouse.

The fire affected the contents of a kitchen exhaust duct in a ground-floor unit, SCDF said. 

The fire started when a flame ignited the exhaust system, causing it to spread to the second floor, a spokesperson for the business said.

The fire was extinguished with a water jet and a hosereel, SCDF said.

A chef at the shop sustained burns to his hands.

Two people were assessed for breathing difficulties and minor injuries, respectively, but both declined to be sent to the hospital.

Ms Simbian Chua, Century Bakkwa’s owner, said on social media that bak kwa orders due to be delivered on Sunday will be delayed for one to two days due to the fire.

The cause of the fire, which occurred days before Chinese New Year, is under investigation, said SCDF.

In a post at about 12pm, Ms Chua said that there was 500kg of charcoal inside the shop and that the fire “can’t seem to be put out”.

In a later post, she urged customers not to come for self-collection of their orders.

The firm says production will resume once SCDF gives the all-clear.

According to its social media posts, Century Bakkwa has completely sold out its bak kwa products for the Chinese New Year period.

An eyewitness told CNA that the fire started at about noon on Sunday, and that SCDF put it out within five minutes of arriving.