Fire On The 20th Floor
At 9:45pm last night, when I first heard from Dad that he courageously went to put out the fire, I didn’t really believe a single shit about it, until I verified the details with the everyone. It was true. Dad did really put out a fire.
About 45 minutes after I left home, a candle started a fire in the house directly below mine.
It grew bigger and bigger. The Fillipinos opposite were screaming FIRE FIRE. My neighbours, the Chinaman family, were all out in the corridor. Chinaman, half naked, was running around screaming "Zhao Huo ah" (on fire). After which he carried his son on the back, and together with his wife, they evacuated. Dad smelt the smoke and looked outside. Then he realized that the fire was JUST burning RIGHT below our fucking asses.
When the firemen first arrived. No more fire already la. Everything was covered in soot.
Dad rushed out, took the stairs down. Everyone was JUST fucking watching the flames lick the walls, and screaming but nobody was doing anything. The house was still burning, but thankfully it was empty. One-man-show, he went over to the firehose and started unrolling. Too bad it was locked. So he pulled and pulled till the lock snapped.
At this point of time, ( let me say again to the fuckin selfish people all around ), nobody FUCKING came to help.
After the hose was out and the water turned on, people THEN started to chip in, trying to hold the hose steady. But they only stood there for a while, before they dropped the hose and RAN OFF! Dad at this point of time was spraying wildly at the fire.
There’s still another firehose opposite, let me go get it, he thought. So he instructed the Chinese guy behind him to hold the hose while he ran off to get the other one. And eventually when he did come back with the hose, guess what he saw? The Chinese guy dropped the hose in panic and RAN off. (Dad vows to fuck him up if they both ever meet again) Everyone was so fuckin afraid of the about-to-explode gas tank inside, and were standing opposite to watch.
Lucky for him, two Ang Mohs and a Filipino came over to help. Most of the windows have already shattered from the heat and the Ang Mohs were trying to remove the grilles so they could shove the hose directly in. The ended up all covered in soot, but nevertheless, fuckin brave. So together, the four of them put out the big fires, leaving only the tiny ones burning inside.
Then the firemen came, to clean the little bits of shit left.
The firemen were a real funny bunch. Probably new-comers.
1. They arrived at the wrong floor. The 19th floor.
2. They climbed the staircase up. And along the corridor, they kept dropping their door breeching tools and other equipment, making them look really really clumsy.
3. After putting out fire, firemen used handphone cameras to take photos. I think they want to blog about it too.
And when the fire was out, there were tons of policemen all around taking statements. Truely Singaporean No Action Talk Only style, everybody had so much to say to them, but when the real thing was on, all balls shrank and became cowards.
The owner below was stunned and damn sad, when he came home to a charred flat, but nevertheless, grateful for the four of them. Now they’re still cleaning up the mess, Jessie and I are going down later on our way out, to see if they need us to help carry any garbage downstairs. Felt really sorry for them.
I missed the whole drama and came home only to a very warm kitchen floor. But I’m real proud of Dad. And at least I know that the people in my apartment who will really go all out to help a stricken neighbour, are the foreigners living here.
Awesome..looks like WTC..
Kian
2 April, 2007 at 4:01 PM
Chris aren’t you aware that people nowadays are damn cheebye? When there are troubles arising and doesn’t concerns them… they just stand around and use “eye power” and be a “supervisor”. Until a hero steps in to hands on, then they “wayang” and pretend to play a part like helping in insignificant things which is redundant or “kio sai” to claim credits from the hero. Sibei kan phua cheebye one… There are instances of road accidents on expressway, the driver who hit the motorcyclist against the guard rail just “pat his backside” and drove away. While even more cheebye one is one elderly dropped her bag of groceries on the escalator, everybody around her all turn in “cyclops” use “eye power” to watch her frantically pick up her stuffs… I cannot imagine how those people will be like in future, probably for the worse? or for the better?
Pang
2 April, 2007 at 6:03 PM
Not to mentioned when I initially posted to 30th Sg Combat Engineers, my platoon mates always push the responsibility to me when shit happens, e.g when keys got locked inside out; failure to clear the rubbish, failure to follow regimental orders and always not volunteering to do sai kang… they will not hesitate to say “izzit pang do one?” or “eh ask pang to help us take rations! eh ask pang to go take the stores.” then they will “pat their backside” walk away or watch the shit brews… Sg ppl damn cheebye, don’t know why… I hope I don’t get influenced by their fucked up behaviours.
Pang
2 April, 2007 at 6:08 PM
Fierce! Chill dude!
Jessie
2 April, 2007 at 6:12 PM
Siao liao leh… everybody all so kia see nowadays, like that in future Singapore kena internal conflicts or external threats, many ppl will think “Aiyah, someone will step in and solve the problems, why should I bother? Pang kang and wait for the hero lah…” He thinks like this, she thinks like this, everybody thinks like this… Hong kan liao lor!! When Sg is on the verge of destruction or in the state of chaos, ppl will just “eye power” or “supervise” the situation… Everybody all kena 1x jialat jialat… until buey din chu…
Pang
2 April, 2007 at 6:16 PM
wah really pity the house-owner. but those other fuckers gave “dua lam pa” statements to the police should be burnt to death. got fire nia, all scared and stay far far admire the “behind of the scenes” of Ladder 49. those stupid fuckers.
Your dad is a courageous man. -Bow
eugene
2 April, 2007 at 9:12 PM
Your dad’s really brave. Incidents like these, whether fire or accident everyone will just stand around and try to snap pictures with their handphones. Hopeless.
corrine
3 April, 2007 at 11:14 AM
Pang : I get your drift. this world got a lot of jiao lang.
eugene : as the fire gets bigger and bigger, the reaction of all the lil cowards around gets funnier and funnier.
corrine : yep. fireman is human, fireman needs to blog about it too.
chris
3 April, 2007 at 7:30 PM
the firemen never arrive at wrong floor. when they fight fire in tall buildings, they will go one floor below to connect their hoses to the risers and go up 1 level to fight the fire.
Anonymous
3 April, 2007 at 8:43 PM
hmm! then im wrong about them already. why do they do that?
chris
3 April, 2007 at 10:02 PM