Fire Country

A fire broke out in the bathroom of a flat in Punggol, Singapore, while a woman was showering. A family of six escaped safely. The story is trending alongside unrelated fire reports worldwide, including blazes at the State Fair of Texas, an electric vehicle fire in Foxfield, Colorado, and fire safety reminders from officials in Regina ahead of Fire Prevention Month.

The United Nations Development Programme is drawing attention to wildfire risk with a message urging countries to act before the next blaze strikes rather than after. The campaign stresses prevention, early warning and preparedness as wildfires grow more frequent and severe worldwide, calling on governments and communities to invest in resilience ahead of future fire seasons.