the bukit ho swee fire of 1961

i was in primary 6 when the great fire at bukit ho swee broke out. there had been similar fires in the past but they could not match this one in terms of volume and thickness of the smoke. in those days, when there was a big fire in another part of singapore, we would come to know about it....not through the radio, newspapers or word of mouth but by the signs in the sky. in the 60s, the view around us was not obstructed by tall structures or buildings.

i was living in kampong chia heng, near the tan tock seng hospital and when there was a big fire in tiong bahru or, for that matter, in any part of singapore, we were able to see the black smoke billowing into the sky in the distance.

that particular day, i remember, was a hot and sultry day. it was also a public holiday. there was the usual excitement when we saw thick black smoke rising in the distance. but this time the excitement was greater because the smoke was thick and spreading. we could almost hear the crackling of the fire.

then somebody told us that the big fire was at bukit ho swee. straight away my thoughts went to my aunties and uncles who were living in that squatter colony. i had visited them during the school holidays.

they were living in attap and zinc-roofed houses like ours but their compound was huge enough for them to grow vegetables and fruit trees and to rear animals like pigs, ducks and chicken. there was even a deep pond nearby from which they drew water to water the crops. i remember there were water hyacinths and other aquatic plants and fish in the pond. the water hyacinths were meant to feed the ducks.

we were to learn that they lost everything in the fire. a year or so later, when i visited them they were housed in some low flats along jalan membina. today, one of my aunties is still living in the bukit ho swee area but the rest have shifted to hdb flats in jurong.