Singapore – On July 22 (Monday) at 3:05 pm, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was alerted to a residential unit fire on the fourth floor of Block 225 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 – just four days after the Bukit Batok HDB flat fire.
“Upon SCDF’s arrival, the fire was raging and involved the contents of the entire unit,” said the statement posted on SCDF’s Facebook page.
The fire was extinguished with one water jet.
One adult and three children were rescued from the immediate neighbouring unit while 60 residents were evacuated from the affected block by the SCDF and Singapore Police Force officers.
According to SCDF, preliminary investigations into the cause of the fire indicate it was a personal mobility device (PMD) placed in the kitchen.
Koh Poh Koon, Ang Mo Kio’s GRC MP who was spotted in the area, shared that the fire was put out very quickly.
He noted that “although no one was hurt, some families were affected as their homes were damaged.”
The GRC MP added that temporary HDB units have been arranged and could accommodate the evacuees overnight.
“They are receiving support from agencies, community partners and YCK Zone 1 RC members,” said Koh Poh Koon in his Facebook post.
Increasing cases of PMD-related fires
A few days ago, a fire broke out in an HDB flat at Bukit Batok also caused by three PMDs were left charging or unattended in the unit.
Unfortunately, a 40-year-old man who went back into the unit to save his pets succumbed to injuries while at the hospital two days later.
Read related: Man dies in hospital after rushing back to rescue pets during Bukit Batok HDB flat fire
The SCDF informed the public that fires caused by PMD’s are on the rise.
There were 74 PMD-related fires in 2018.
Safety tips to prevent PMD-related fires
As a result of the latest case, the SCDF took the opportunity to remind everyone of the following fire safety tips to avoid PMD-caused fires:
“LTA encourages all PMD owners to use UL2272 certified devices. When purchasing a PMD, look out for the UL2272 Certification Marks.
Refer to LTA’s website (bit.ly/ul2272sg) for more information on UL2272 certification and an indicative list of UL2272 certified devices available in Singapore.”
According to the LTA, a PMD needs to pass a series of electrical, mechanical, and environmental tests before getting a UL2272 certification.
Checking if your PMD is certified is the foremost important step to ensuring its operational safety.
The following infographic could be used as a checklist and manual for proper PMD handling and maintenance.
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