The Fire Services Bureau (CB) announced at a press conference on Friday that 476 fire call-outs were recorded between January and June this year, representing an increase of 70 cases, or 17.24 percent, compared to the same period last year. Among these incidents, 381 cases (80.04 percent of the total) did not require water jets, indicating that most fires were handled and extinguished in their initial stages.
The press conference regarding the bureau’s operational data for the first half of the year was held at CB headquarters in Nam Van.
CB senior officer Chan Wai Keong pointed out that the main causes of fires were unattended cooking stoves, unattended open flames, the burning of incense and joss paper, electrical short circuits, and mechanical or equipment malfunctions. He added that these five factors accounted for 312 cases, representing 65.55 percent of all fire call-outs.
Meanwhile, ambulance dispatches totalled 23,598 in the first half of 2026, marking an increase of 1,210 cases (5.4 percent) compared to the same period in 2025. This growth was primarily driven by a rise in mild discomfort cases, such as fevers and mild breathing difficulties, Chan said.
Chan noted that overall emergency medical calls mostly involved dizziness, abdominal pain, respiratory distress, vomiting, fever, and various physical injuries. The bureau strongly appealed to the public to use its free ambulance services prudently, reserving critical emergency resources for those in urgent need.
Moreover, the bureau conducted 4,955 inspections in the first half of the year, and a total of 79 administrative penalty procedures were completed, mainly targeting motorcycles parked in evacuation passages and clutter obstructing escape routes. Administrative proceedings have been initiated for an additional eight cases. The bureau continued to hold safety training courses for designated fire safety personnel, with over 14,000 individuals trained as of the end June, Chan added.
Aiming to safeguard hazardous material sites, fire officials conducted 3,431 dangerous goods safety inspections between January and June, covering industrial buildings, petrol stations, restaurants, retail outlets selling related products, and fuel storage facilities, Chan said. He added that during this period, two administrative penalty cases were completed, both involving the storage and use of excessive liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
Fire Services Bureau (CB) senior officer Chan Wai Keong (second from left) and other officers look on during a press conference about the bureau’s operational data for the first half of this year held at the CB headquarters in Nam Van. – Photo: Ida Cheong
