About 50 people were evacuated from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) campus at 80 Bencoolen Street in Singapore after smoke and a fire broke out in a first-floor workshop on the late afternoon of August 18, 2026. According to the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), the blaze involved air handling machinery, prompting a swift response and zero reported injuries.
Inside the Bencoolen Street Evacuation
The incident disrupted the late-afternoon schedule at the arts institution when smoke triggered alarms at the downtown campus. SCDF units received an alert regarding the fire at 80 Bencoolen Street at roughly 5:15 p.m., deploying personnel to tackle the hazard directly at its source.
The fire was localized within the air handling machinery situated on level one of Campus 1, Wing B.
Immediate Protocol and Safety Responses
A NAFA spokesperson addressed the situation in a statement to The Straits Times, emphasizing that institutional protocols went off without a hitch. “As a precautionary measure, Wing B was evacuated. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) attended to the incident,” the spokesperson noted.
The academy reiterated its commitment to occupant safety in the wake of the disruption. “The safety of our students and staff is our priority, and we are working closely with SCDF,” the spokesperson added.
Uncovering the Cause of the Workshop Fire
SCDF officials confirmed that investigations into the exact root cause of the machinery failure remain ongoing.
