Unexpected Blaze During a Woodlands Wake
On the afternoon of Tuesday, August 9, the normally eerie quiet under a HDB block in Woodlands was shattered by a sudden burst of flame that didn’t originate from the parked cars or the usual funeral marshals—
it came from a decorated hearse, a lorry that had been turned into a carnival float with lanterns, flowers, and everything that one could possibly want to see at a funeral.
What Went Down?
- The hearse was parked in a commercial car‑park just next to the grieving families.
- At around 3:30 p.m., while a wake was underway, the vehicle went up in flames.
- Facebook posts from the local funeral group Death Kopitiam Singapore captured the chaos: bright fireworks, a plume of smoke, and a few hapless mourners grabbing buckets of water to vent the blaze.
- Even after the flames had been tamed by disappointed water‑bucket‑handing, the vehicle was still on fire—until the fire trucks arrived.
Quick Firefighting and The Grace of Luck
Thankfully the hearse did not contain the casket at that critical moment, so nobody was injured. The coffin was safe, the bodies stayed calm, and the fire didn’t get a chance to wreak additional havoc.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) received a call at about 3:50 p.m. and rushed in. They praised the community’s quick response and mentioned that the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
What We Learned
This incident reminded us that funeral customs can sometimes run afoul of common-sense safety checks. Soon after this event, several Singapore funeral parlours have prohibited the use of LED wreaths during wakes. These electronic wreaths can overheat if you jerry‑robb it with all the microphones and speakers, a danger the SCDF wants to keep at bay.
The trend of sending electronic wreaths as a condolence gift began in Taiwan, but in Singapore it’s been criticized as being overly “festive” by the Shin Min Daily News. So, next time you consider adding some techno‑glow to your tribute, keep the power requirements in mind.
Behind the Scenes
While the SCDF is still digging into why the lorry lit up, the little bucket‑duo of water handlers will always have a story to tell about the day they saved a funeral from turning into a fire pit.
