SINGAPORE — A personal mobility device (PMD) that was left charging outside a Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat in Clementi caught fire on Thursday (Dec 5) afternoon.

In a Facebook post, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that it had responded to a fire outside a 14th floor unit at Block 715 Clementi West Street 2 at about 12.45pm.

The PMD was parked along the common corridor and the fire was extinguished with one water jet.

Three occupants from the flat were evacuated.

Preliminary investigations by the authorities indicated that the fire was of electrical origin from the PMD which was charging along the corridor.

Photos posted by SCDF showed blackened walls outside the flat that were caused by the fire. Hanging electrical wiring can also be seen, along with burnt footwear and other belongings.

In a reminder to the public, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said that it encourages all PMD owners to use UL2272-certified devices.

Those who wish to buy a PMD may go to the LTA’s website go.gov.sg/ul2272sg for more information on the certification and an indicative list of UL2272-certified devices available in Singapore.

LTA also strongly encouraged all owners of non-UL2272 certified PMDs to dispose of their devices at designated disposal points as soon as possible.

Earlier in the day, SCDF published a video on Facebook showing a PMD battery catching fire.

In the video, a bright flash of light is seen, followed by several explosions.

SCDF said that the explosions created projectiles that caused the fire to spread rapidly. “Such PMD fires have caused mass evacuations, casualties and even a fatality.” 

It then reminded to the public “to protect yourself, your loved ones and your neighbours”.

SCDF did not elaborate on the circumstances in which the video was filmed, although it appeared to be closed-circuit television footage.

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