Four rescued after PMD fire guts Woodlands flat
A firefighter was injured yesterday after helping rescue the trapped occupants of a burning flat in Woodlands.
A teenager also suffered burn injuries.
The fire is believed to have been started by a personal mobility device (PMD), which was being charged in the unit.
The fire occurred at about 3.25pm yesterday in a fifth-storey unit at Block 159 Woodlands Street 13.
When firefighters from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) arrived, they found a woman, a male teenager and two children trapped in the kitchen.
The SCDF said firefighters had to force their way into the unit to fight the fire.
Five neighbours were also evacuated.
The trapped occupants were rescued and the fire was eventually extinguished with two water jets.
The teenager suffered burn injuries to his back and left shoulder and was taken to Singapore General Hospital (SGH), while the two children were taken to KK Women's and Children's Hospital for smoke inhalation.
Two women were also taken to SGH for smoke inhalation.
The SCDF said one of its firefighters who helped rescue the occupants suffered minor burns to his left shoulder and was taken to SGH.
"Preliminary investigation into the cause of the fire indicated that it started from a PMD, which was left charging in a bedroom," the SCDF said.
Pictures of the aftermath of the fire showed the unit gutted from floor to ceiling.
CHECK IT
The SCDF has consistently advised the public not to overcharge batteries of PMDs. They should also check it for damage and deformities, and ensure that the devices are not charged near combustible materials or in an escape path.
In spite of this, figures released by the SCDF in February showed that there were 74 fires involving such devices last year, about a 50 per cent increase from the 49 cases in 2017.
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