Firefighters had to force their way into a burning Bukit Batok Housing Board flat in the early hours of yesterday to rescue a man and woman trapped in a fire caused by two e-scooters.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the fire on the 26th floor of Block 293D Bukit Batok Street 21 at 12.40am.
Firefighters donning breathing apparatus cut through the iron gate and prised open the wooden front door to find an unconscious man with burn injuries, the SCDF said. He was taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.
A woman who was also found in the flat was taken to Singapore General Hospital for smoke inhalation.
The fire in the living room was extinguished using two water jets.
Bukit Batok MP Murali Pillai said in a Facebook post that the cause of the fire has been traced to two e-scooters. He also praised the "lion-hearted" volunteers from the Zone 12 Residents Network who quickly opened the Residents Network centre for the 70-plus evacuated residents to rest there.
The evacuated residents made up about 75 per cent of the affected block's residents, and they had to leave their homes for the SCDF to inspect the area's safety, said a volunteer who requested not to be named, adding that most of them were able to return home by 3am.
While being evacuated, an elderly man was injured, and he was also taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, the SCDF said.
Residents said the affected flat belonged to a couple who lived in the unit with a dog and a parrot. They have no children.
When The Straits Times visited the flat yesterday afternoon, the female occupant declined to speak to the media, saying only that it was a "very sad accident".
Neighbours who spoke to ST said they were alerted to the blaze by a burning smell and commotion from the affected block.
Resident James Ting said he smelled "something burning" at about 1am. "We looked out and saw fire coming from the living room window of the flat, and something fell out of the window, maybe a glass piece," said Mr Ting, who is in his 50s and works in software development.
His unit is on the 23rd floor of a block facing the affected flat, and he could see the fire very clearly, he said. "It is my first time seeing something like that, so of course we were scared," he added.
Madam Annie Chong, 67, who lives in the same block as the occupants of the affected flat, said she was woken up by the commotion several storeys above her.
"I was not scared of the fire, we have a fire extinguisher at home and we know what to do," said the retiree who works part-time in a pharmacy.
Noting that the affected block was about two years old, she added: "It is such a waste, it is a new flat."
The blaze is the latest in a spate of fires to hit HDB flats and shops. Early this month, occupants and residents of Block 720 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 were forced to evacuate after fire ravaged several shophouse units on the ground floor.
On Monday, six people were injured and about 100 were evacuated when fire engulfed a flat in Boon Lay. SCDF is investigating both incidents.
The number of fires involving personal mobility devices or power-assisted bicycles is on an upward trend, according to SCDF figures.
Last year, there were 74 fires involving such devices and bicycles, a 51 per cent rise from the previous year, the SCDF said in its annual report. These fires typically occurred during charging or shortly after.
Fire safety tips
PREVENTION
•Do not charge batteries or devices overnight or over a prolonged period unattended.
•Ensure that your personal mobility devices (PMDs) and power-assisted bicycles comply with Land Transport Authority guidelines under the Active Mobility Act, and purchase your devices only from reputable sources.
•Do not tamper with, modify or attempt to repair a device on your own.
•Charge your PMDs and power-assisted bicycles in a cool room and away from heat sources, and ensure that they are on hard, open and flat surfaces.
•Do not place charging devices near flammable materials, entrances or exits, or anywhere that might block your escape route.
ACTION
When you discover a fire, follow these steps:
•Alert others by shouting.
•Evacuate the area and, if possible, close the door of the affected room to contain the fire.
•Dial 995 for the Singapore Civil Defence Force.
•Fight the fire only if you can do so without endangering yourself or others.
Correction note: This article has been updated to reflect the correct block in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 from which occupants and residents were forced to evacuate early this month. We are sorry for the error.
