A fire broke out in the exhaust ventilation system of Moustache BBQ restaurant at Lorong 25A Geylang at 7:15 PM on Saturday (12 Apr 2025).
Thirty staff members and customers evacuated the premises as thick smoke billowed from the restaurant. A reader alerted Shin Min Daily News about the incident, reporting heavy smoke and the arrival of police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) personnel.
When reporters reached the scene, two fire engines and two police vehicles were present, with the road section blocked off. Police had cordoned off three shop fronts – two belonging to Moustache BBQ restaurant and one adjacent bar.
SCDF personnel began packing up their fire hoses around 8:00 PM. One fire investigator stayed on site to determine the cause of the fire. At approximately 9:00 PM, police removed the cordon tape to restore normal traffic flow.
A nearby employee, Mr. Huang, 30, noticed smoke entering his shop through the back door. “I ran out to check and discovered the exhaust duct of a nearby shop was on fire,” he said.
He added that some staff tried to put out the fire with small hoses, and he lent them his shop’s more powerful water hose. “The manager also called the SCDF, who arrived within 10 minutes. By then, the fire was almost extinguished.”
Mr. Liu, a 45-year-old chef from another nearby restaurant, said many onlookers gathered after the fire broke out. “The fire was put out in about half an hour. This area has never had a fire before; this is the first time.”
Around 9:15 PM, 10 employees from another Moustache BBQ restaurant branch were seen exiting and heading to the affected restaurant to collect bottles and utensils. The exhaust duct showed clear signs of fire damage.
Staff from the affected restaurant declined to comment when approached by reporters.
The SCDF confirmed the fire involved the exhaust duct in the ground-floor kitchen. Staff had used dry powder extinguishers to fight the fire before SCDF’s arrival. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
