Elderly neighbour sets retiree’s bedsheet, that had been hung out to dry, on fire

The picture above shows all that is left of 74-year-old Mr Teo’s bedsheet, which he had hung outside his kitchen window to dry.

The retiree was in the living room of his flat in 8 Boon Keng Road on Wednesday (18 Oct) when he smelled something burning. When he looked out his window, he was shocked to find his bedsheet in flames.

Mr Teo told the Chinese daily:

“When I saw the fire, I quickly fetched some water to put it out. Luckily nothing else was burnt.”

Thinking that the fire must’ve been the handiwork of his neighbour who lives one level above, Mr Teo marched up to confront her.

He claims that the neighbour, 86-year-old Mdm Wong, refused to say anything regarding the incident – until Mr Teo called the police to the scene.

Mdm Wong finally admitted to setting the sheet on fire and retorted that she did so because she was angry that Mr Teo’s bedsheet was blocking her view:

“The upstairs neighbour always hangs his bedsheet to dry outside, blocking my window and the sunlight. I told him many times about this and to stop doing it but he refused to listen. That made me very angry.

“That day I saw the bedsheet blocking my window again and I got angry so I took a lighter, lit it and held it against the bedsheet. I didn’t think the whole thing would catch fire!”

Police investigations are ongoing.