100 evacuated, 3 taken to hospital, after PMA catches fire

Gonzalo Montiel had just scored the winning penalty for Argentina to win the World Cup, and cheers erupted across Woodlands Community Club (CC), at 2am, where residents were watching the match.

Then, word spread about a fire at nearby Block 806 Woodlands Street 81.

Grassroots leaders and residents at the CC sprang into action and rushed to the block to help out.

Ms Mariam Jaafar, MP for Sembawang GRC, had also been watching the match at the CC and said: “A group of grassroots leaders headed down (to the block) right away, while a few of us briefed the team at the CC and contacted the relevant agencies before heading over.”

The residents and grassroots leaders immediately worked to help evacuate about 100 of the block’s residents.

Madam Lyn Ali, 45, a resident on the eighth storey, said she had been sleeping when she heard many people shouting.

“I thought people were shouting because of the World Cup. But there was suddenly a lot of smoke and I rushed my five children out,” she said.

A spokesman for the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said about 100 people had been evacuated from the block as a precautionary measure.

The fire had engulfed a one-room rental flat on the fifth storey, and three people were taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital for smoke inhalation.

SCDF said preliminary investigations revealed the fire was of electrical origin. It is believed to have started from a personal mobility aid (PMA) in the unit’s living room.

This comes 11 days after the death of Sergeant (1) Edward H. Go, who fell unconscious when battling a fire in a two-room flat in Henderson Road on Dec 8. He died on the same day.

The fire was likely of electrical origin.

On Monday, SCDF said it was alerted to the Woodlands fire at 2am.

SCDF said: “The fire involved the contents of a living room in a unit on the fifth floor. SCDF extinguished the fire using two hose reels.”

Wanting to be known only as Mr Eber, 33, who works as a GrabFood deliveryman, the tenant of the burnt flat said he had just purchased the PMA a week ago.

He said it did not come with a battery, so he bought a second-hand battery off Carousell on Sunday.

He added: “I bought the PMA for $680, and the battery for $300. It was for my mother who has knee problems.

“But I didn’t know the battery was defective, because the seller claimed it was as good as new. And I only found out it was an expired battery after the fire.”

He said only his parents were home at the time, while he was out making deliveries to people watching the World Cup.

“I had initially charged the battery, before shutting off the power and unplugging it,” he said.

“But when I was out, my mother messaged me saying there were sparks suddenly coming out from the battery pack.”

Mr Eber said by the time he got back to the flat, the fire had been put out and the entire unit was gutted.

He added he tried to contact the Carousell seller after the fire, but was blocked by the user.

Ms Mariam thanked the residents and grassroots leaders who had responded to the incident, and said the Housing Board had secured a flat nearby for the family as it works with the Sembawang Town Council to clean up and reinstate the affected units.

She added: “Electrical fires from personal mobility devices are getting increasingly common, and we have seen that they can be deadly.

“We are fortunate there were no casualties but it’s really important we raise awareness of the dangers and follow safe charging practices.”

Warning members of the public about fires of electrical origin, SCDF said they should not charge batteries for an extended period of time or overnight. 

It added: “Do not purchase or use non-original batteries.”

In 2021, the top three sources of fires were unattended cooking, followed by electrical fires and fires involving household contents such as furniture.

That year, there were 32 fires involving personal mobility devices and 23 involving power assisted bicycles.

Five tips to prevent electrical fires

• Regularly check your device’s batteries for any damage or deformities, such as the presence of corrosion or a powdery residue.
• Do not charge a personal mobility device or power-assisted bicycle along the escape path of your residence.
• Charge your device on a hard, flat surface so that heat can dissipate.
• Use a power adaptor that carries the Safety Mark and which is recommended by the device’s manufacturer.
• Buy a personal mobility device that is certified under the UL2272 standard. Power-assisted bicycles should be certified under the EN15194 standard and bear the Land Transport Authority’s orange seal of approval.

Sources: Singapore Civil Defence Force, Land Transport Authority and National Fire And Emergency Preparedness Council