2 Injured in HDB Fire Along Jalan Bukit Merah

Here are three words you probably haven’t heard for some time.

Personal Mobility Device (PMD).

If you remember way back on 5 November 2019, the government banned PMDs from footpaths.

And also immensely slowed down how much PMD-related news we covered each day.

In fact, in 2019, several dozen PMD related fires occurred throughout the year, which thankfully seemed to lessen post-ban.

2 Injured in HDB Fire Along Jalan Bukit Merah

Until a news report today, that is.

TODAY reported that the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was alerted to a fire around 6.50am on Tuesday (Feb 23).

This happened in a 7th-floor unit at Block 105 Jalan Bukit Merah.

In a Facebook post, SCDF noted that the fire was extinguished using two compressed air foam backpacks and a fire extinguisher.

Unfortunately, two people suffered burn injuries and had to be taken to Singapore General Hospital (SGH).

The police also evacuated around 20 residents from nearby flats as a precaution.

Cause Of The Fire

And if you put two and two together, you’ll know the suspected cause of the incident.

Because initial investigations have shown that the fire may have come from a PMD.

While PMDs don’t normally just explode, there are things that you can do to prevent it from happening.

• Don’t overcharge batteries, especially leaving them overnight to charge, or you might just wake up to a fiery home
• Place devices on hard flat surfaces for optimal dissipation of heat
• Don’t place devices near combustible materials or along an escape path
• Examine for damage or deformities like bloated, corroded batteries or powdery batteries

Aside from these, your PMD should also possess the UL2272 certificate, which is an authorized fire safety certification.

SCDF encouraged owners of non-UL2272 devices to dispose of their devices at appropriate recyclers.

Similarly, if you own or want to buy a power-assisted bicycle (PAB), it should have the EN15194 certification and affixed with Land Transport Authority (LTA)’s orange seal of approval.

Smoke Inhalation

Suffering physical injuries because of the fires is no joke.

However, other problems could also arise.

On 8 Oct 2019, a fire caused by a PMD in Bukit Batok saw a man and a baby rushed to a hospital due to smoke inhalation.

This also occurred in another case on 2 Sept 2020, where firefighters rescued four people and their dog from a PMD-caused fire at Block 412A Fernvale Link.

They were sent to SGH for the same reason.

Do take care to follow the PMD guidelines, it’ll save both you and others as well. Don’t play with fire.

Feature Image: Google Maps