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SINGAPORE – A massive fire that broke out at the Sembawang Wealth God Temple on Friday night (September 18) killed three of the seven dogs living in the facility, but left statues of various deities intact.
A spokesman for the Singapore Civil Defense Force (SCDF) told The Straits Times on Saturday (September 19) that firefighters found three dog carcasses during their night operations.
It took firefighters about three hours, from 9:15 p.m. to midnight, to extinguish the fire. They then continued to spray water on the burned surfaces for several hours to prevent the fire from reappearing, a process known as damping.
Transportation Minister Ong Ye Kung and Dr. Lim Wee Kiak, both MPs from Sembawang GRC, visited the temple on Saturday.
Ong said in an Instagram post later that the temple had seven dogs and three of them died in the fire.
He said the damage was extensive but no one was injured. The statues of all the deities were also “miraculously” intact, he added.
Dr. Lim shared photos of the inside of the temple on Facebook after the visit, noting that the damage to the first and second floors of the four-story temple was obvious compared to photos taken during Chinese New Year.
“What was really surprising was that the five statues of the God of Wealth in the main prayer hall were not damaged by fire,” added Dr. Lim.
“Congratulations to the 12 fire trucks and 62 SCDF firefighters who put out the fire amid high winds last night.”
The temple administration said in a Facebook post Saturday morning that the temple will remain closed until further notice.
“Fortunately, Our God of Wealth Hall and Goddess of Mercy Hall are still intact and we look forward to reopening as soon as we can,” the statement added.
The Taoist Federation is in talks with the temple administration about how to provide assistance, said its president, Tan Thiam Lye.
He told the Chinese-language Shin Min Daily News that the Sembawang Wealth God Temple started out as a small temple and was carefully built to its current size through years of fundraising.
According to the temple’s website, preparations to build the $ 3 million, 20,000-square-foot temple began in 1998. Construction itself began in 2004.
The temple is known for the 9.44m tall statue of the God of Wealth on its roof, said to be the largest of its kind in the world.
Tan added that he will convene a meeting with federation members next week and urge them to consider oil lamps and other flammable materials in their temples to avoid similar incidents.
Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing.
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