SINGAPORE — The dry rising main at Block 229 Toa Payoh Lorong 8 was not in proper working condition when the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) fought the blaze there on July 29.SCDF said on July 30 that because the dry rising main was not working, water could not be charged up to the affected floors.Firefighters had to set up hoses directly from the fire engine below up to the 10th and 11th floors via the staircase.The fire had engulfed a flat on the 10th floor and spread to a unit on the 11th. A total of seven people, including a firefighter and a child, were taken to hospital.An SCDF spokesman said: «This is more onerous, but it is a contingency that SCDF firefighters regularly train for during their routine drills.»The dry rising main is a vertical red pipe installed in a building, and is typically dry when not in use.During a fire, it is charged with water from a fire engine, allowing water to reach the upper floors of a building.SCDF said it is working with the town council to investigate the incident. It is also working to rectify the dry rising main fault to ensure it is in proper working condition. Read more