Fire breaks out at Sembawang flat, likely caused by charging PMD

SINGAPORE — A fire broke out in the early hours of Monday morning (Aug 26) at a Housing and Development Board flat in Sembawang, with preliminary investigations indicating that it could have been caused by a charging personal mobility device (PMD).

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said in a Facebook post that it responded to the fire at about 5.10am at a 12th-floor unit of Block 364B, Sembawang Crescent.

“Preliminary investigation into the cause of the fire indicates that it was of electrical origin from a personal mobility device (PMD) which was charging at the time of the fire,” SCDF said.

It added that the fire affected the contents of a living room, and was extinguished by its officers using a hose reel and two compressed air foam packs. 

There were no reported injuries.

In order to prevent such fires from occurring, SCDF urged the public to bear in mind safe practices.

This includes not leaving a PMD or power-assisted bicycle charging unattended for an extended period.

PMD owners are also encouraged to use devices that are certified with the UL2272 safety standard, it added.

Last month, SCDF said that the number of reported fires involving power-assisted bicycles and PMDs has more than doubled in the first half of this year, compared to the same period last year.

The Land Transport Authority said that it was considering bringing forward the end-2020 deadline for all motorised PMDs to meet fire safety standards, in light of the spate of fires related to the charging of non-UL2272-certified devices.