Mention the term “circuit breaker” to a Singaporean and images of closed bubble tea shops, empty streets, and Lawrence Wong come to mind.
That’s the name the Singapore government chose for what was essentially a partial lockdown.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, a “circuit breaker” was just an electrical device for stopping the flow of current.
Despite being a safety device, one circuit breaker just caused a massive fire.
I mean a real circuit breaker, not Lawrence Wong.
Real Circuit Breaker Caught Fire in Clementi HDB That Led to Evacuation and 1 Hospitalisation
40 people were evacuated and one person was taken to hospital after a circuit breaker caught fire at Block 441B Clementi Avenue 3 on Tuesday night (19 May), reported CNA.
The circuit breaker in question was along the corridor on the ninth floor, said the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).
SCDF said it was alerted to the fire at 9.35pm, and the flames were eventually put out with two compressed air foam backpacks and an extinguisher.
There were no fatalities, but one person was taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.
It is unclear why the circuit breaker caught fire. Maybe it was just angry that the authorities have just said that they’re ending it and changing its name to Phase One even when it still feels like a Circuit Breaker.
Circuit Breaker also got feelings one, okay.
Second Fire In Just A Few Hours
Several hours later, in the early hours of Wednesday (20 May), another fire broke out in a Yishun flat, prompting around 80 people to evacuate.
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This time, it wasn’t a circuit breaker, but an old culprit: a PMD battery.
Investigations determined that the cause of the fire was “of electrical origin” from an e-bike battery that was charging at the time of the fire, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said.
This brutal fire destroyed the contents of the living room of a seventh-storey flat in Block 502A Yishun Street 51, as all the furniture and walls had been badly burnt.
According to SCDF’s Facebook post, the family’s neighbour happened to be an off-duty SCDF warrant officer, who helped put out the fire using a hose reel prior to SCDF’s arrival at 4.50am.
What a stroke of good luck.
Three occupants from the affected flat were taken to Singapore General Hospital for smoke inhalation.
Well, guess the Circuit Breaker doesn’t work here.
Reader: Your jokes would have taken out the fire within an nanosecond
Observe Fire Safety Measures
SCDF reminded members of the public to observe fire safety measures when it comes to the use of e-bikes and personal mobility devices.
You may have forgotten all about the dangers of PMD batteries because of the coronavirus, but it’s good to keep these tips in mind:
- Do not leave charging devices or batteries unattended overnight or for an extended period of time
- Do not charge your PMD/PAB immediately after use
- Do not tamper, modify, or attempt to repair a PMD/PAB on your own
- Do not charge a PMD/PAB or its batteries near combustible materials or along an escape path
This period is tough enough with everything that’s going on. A little negligence here could have some terrible consequences.
Remember to observe fire safety measures at all times if you own a PMD, though the next question is…why do you still own one?
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