2 cars, 2 fires
He had stopped his car to check for directions on his mobile phone when he noticed smoke coming out from the bonnet of his silver Renault Megane.
The driver knew he had no time to lose.
Grabbing his bags from the back seat, he leapt out of his car in the nick of time.
"I got out of the car and everything just went up in flames," he told The New Paper.
Soon after he got out, he heard several loud explosions and saw the bonnet of his car covered in flames.
This happened at about 4.30pm yesterday in the driveway of a building at Science Park 1 near Buona Vista.
The driver, who declined to be named, told The New Paper that his vehicle, a secondhand car, was about 8 1/2 years old.
He was not sure when he last took the car to be serviced.
A witness, Ms Tila, 20,said she saw a small fire on the bonnet grow. It then destroyed the front of the car.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) put out the fire in half an hour, using one water jet and a fire extinguisher.
The front of the car was left charred and black.
SECOND FIRE
In another incident, a car parked at a multi-storey carpark in Tampines burst into flames yesterday morning, reported Shin Min Daily News.
The fire filled the second storey of the carpark with smoke.
It is believed to have started from a white sedan and spread to the two cars parked beside it.
The front of the white sedan was completely destroyed and the doors of the cars beside it were badly burned.
The SCDF said it was alerted to the fire at Block 311A, Tampines Street 33 at about 7am.
The fire was extinguished with two water jets and a fire extinguisher. No one was injured. The SCDF said it is investigating both fires.
Most fires start in engine
The primary cause of vehicle fires is overheating and electrical faults in the engine compartment, said the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).
The SCDF said most fires happen while the vehicles are on the road.
Vehicle owners are advised to have a fire extinguisher on board as most fires start small but develop rapidly due to the presence of flammables.
TIPS
The SCDF also has some tips on dealing with vehicle fires.
Pull over safely to the side of the road.
Turn off ignition and evacuate everyone from the vehicle.
For prevention, service your vehicle regularly at authorised vehicle workshops.
Owners should also conduct visual checks for any sign of oil leaks.
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