In a dramatic and bizarre scene that has since gone viral, a man wearing only his underwear was caught on camera attempting to drive his car away from a raging vehicle fire despite repeated warnings from police and firefighters.

The incident occurred at approximately 8 pm on May 1 at the open-air car park of Block 111 McNair Road in Singapore, where a car had burst into flames, according to the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

Video footage, which has been widely circulated on Instagram, shows emergency personnel shouting at the man to stay back as they battled the fire. The uploader, @sgvirality, captioned the post with a tongue-in-cheek remark: "When your Civic's in danger and you don't even have time to put on pants. That's real love."

In the clip, the man is seen calmly opening the door to his car parked right next to the burning vehicle and driving away, shirtless and barefoot. He even manoeuvres past SCDF officers who were in the midst of setting up fire hoses, further alarming the responders.

Despite multiple urgent shouts such as "Don't drive!" and "Come out!" from both police and SCDF personnel, the man continued his attempt to move his vehicle away from the blaze. A police officer eventually approached and knocked on the man's car door in an attempt to redirect him and prevent interference with emergency operations.

In a statement released the next day, police confirmed the officer's intervention, saying it was necessary to ensure the man did not disrupt firefighting efforts or endanger himself.

Online reactions have been mixed. While some netizens praised the man's daring actions to protect his car, others criticised his recklessness and failure to comply with safety instructions. A portion of commenters also questioned the need for police to bang on the car, interpreting it as overly aggressive.

Regardless of public opinion, the unusual sight of a nearly-naked man prioritising his vehicle in the middle of a dangerous fire has left a strong impression online as a viral reminder of how instinct can sometimes override common sense.

Source: Straits Times