Charging of personal mobility device could have caused fire at Tampines flat: SCDF

The fire, which broke out at a Tampines HDB unit on Jan 20, 2018, involved the contents of three bedrooms and a living room. PHOTO: CHIN CHINNAPAT
Dozens of people were gathered at the foot of the block after a fire broke out on Jan 20, 2018. PHOTO: CHIN CHINNAPAT
The fire involved the contents of three bedrooms and a living room. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
Singapore Civil Defence Force officers entered the unit and put out the fire with two water jets within 15 minutes. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

SINGAPORE - A fire broke out in a flat in Tampines on Saturday (Jan 20), with the residents fleeing the unit to safety before the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers arrived and put out the fire.

Preliminary investigations showed that the fire had originated from a personal mobility device which was being charged, SCDF said in an update on Facebook.

A photo sent in by Straits Times reader Chin Chinnapat shows smoke rising from a flat, with dozens of people gathered downstairs.

Another reader who gave his name only as Mr Lee said he was woken by the sound of sirens and went out to see smoke billowing from the flat which was on one of the lower floors. He said it was just smoke at first but flames started spewing from the flat.

The fire, which he said lasted from five to 10 minutes, was put out by SCDF.

SCDF told ST that it received a call about the fire at Block 867A, Tampines Street 83, at 5.28pm. Officers entered the unit and put out the fire with two water jets within 15 minutes.

About 40 residents in the block also evacuated the block of their own accord.

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The occupants of the flat had self-evacuated before SCDF officers arrived, and there were no reported injuries.

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