Energy provider SP Group warned the public yesterday of suspected scammers posing as its employees to sell fire extinguishers, in the wake of a recent spate of fires in Housing Board flats.

In an advisory posted on Facebook yesterday, SP Group said the company does not sell any products and its employees do not conduct door-to-door sales.

"We advise all customers to always ask for and check the identification of the person claiming to be from SP Group, and not to provide personal particulars to strangers," it said.

This comes after recent fires that have injured residents, resulted in the death of one, and destroyed flats in several HDB estates.

On Monday, about 60 people were evacuated after a fire erupted in a fourth-floor unit of Block 224 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) rescued one adult and three children from a unit next to the flat where the fire broke out.

Last Thursday, firefighters rescued a man and his wife who were trapped in a unit after a fire broke out on the 26th floor of Block 293D Bukit Batok Street 21. About 70 residents were evacuated as a result of the blaze. The 40-year-old man later died in hospital.

E-scooters were found to be the cause of both fires.

Earlier this month, on July 15, six people were injured and 100 residents were evacuated after a fire engulfed a fourth-floor flat at Block 191 Boon Lay Drive.

The fire extinguisher scam highlighted by SP Group echoes past incidents.

In 2016, the SCDF warned the public to be wary of companies that use aggressive techniques to sell fire safety products.

The SCDF also rejected claims then that it had endorsed companies to sell fire extinguishers and fire insurance policies, or conduct fire safety talks.

It also added that it had not "authorised any company to conduct such activities on its behalf", and assured the public that it was not mandatory to have a fire extinguisher at home, although residents were encouraged to have one.