SINGAPORE – More personal mobility devices (PMDs) and power-assisted bicycles (PABs) caught fire in the first six months of 2023, compared with the same period in 2022.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force’s (SCDF) mid-year report, released on Tuesday, said there were 27 fires involving 18 PABs and nine PMDs. This compares with 22 fires involving such devices in the first half of 2022. 

In May, three people were hospitalised after a fire broke out in a Sengkang flat where a PMD had been left charging in the living room.

SCDF responded to 967 fires in the first half of 2023 compared with 918 fires over the same period in 2022. 

More than half of the fires, or 493 cases, occurred in homes, which included private and public-housing residences.

SCDF said cooking activities were the leading cause of fires in homes, with 205 such cases.

There was also a 40.5 per cent increase in fires involving discarded items, vegetation or vehicles in the first half of 2023, from the same period in 2022. There were 281 such cases in 2023, and 200 in 2022.

Meanwhile, SCDF responded to fewer emergency medical services (EMS) calls from January to June 2023 than in the same period in 2022. The total number of EMS calls fell to 122,269 from 128,486, a 4.8 per cent decline.

There were 114,056 emergency EMS calls in the first half of 2023, a 4.7 per cent decline from the 119,710 calls in the first half of 2022. 

Non-emergency EMS calls fell by 9.8 per cent – from 5,769 in the first half of 2022 to 5,203 in the first half of 2023. False alarm calls remained fairly constant, with 3,010 in the first six months of 2023 and 3,007 in the same period in 2022. 

SCDF introduced a non-dispatch policy in 2023 to cope with the demand for emergency services. The 995 operations centre assesses all emergency calls and sends ambulances only in actual emergencies.

This comes as SCDF expects more EMS calls because of Singapore’s ageing population. In 2022, SCDF responded to about 700 calls daily – a 25 per cent increase from pre-pandemic levels.

There were no figures for fire fatalities, a spokesman for SCDF said, as data on fire deaths and injuries is usually released only in its annual statistics report.

In February, SCDF reported six fire deaths in the whole of 2022, up from four in 2021.

The Straits Times reported on at least three fire deaths in the first half of 2023. 

In March, a 98-year-old man died in hospital, two days after being rescued from a fire in his Pasir Ris flat. He had suffered smoke inhalation and first-degree burns.

SCDF said preliminary investigations found that the fire had an electrical origin. 

In June, a 17-year-old boy died after a fire broke out in the bedroom of a Yishun flat.

About 50 people from neighbouring homes had to be evacuated.

Also in June, a 79-year-old man died in hospital after a fire at a Bukit Batok flat involving a sofa in the living room.

SCDF fire safety tips 

Discarded items

Residents are advised not to discard items in open spaces or common areas. 

Contact your town council for help to remove bulky items.

Report to your town council any cases of discarded items in common areas.

Cooking

Do not leave cooking unattended; turn off and unplug appliances when not in use.

In an oil fire, do not pour water onto the fire. Turn off gas or electrical supply to the stove and use a lid or wet cloth to smother the fire.

Keep liquefied petroleum gas cylinders in a well-ventilated area. Ensure the supply hose is in good condition, tightly fitted and not leaking.

Electrical appliances 

Do not overload electrical outlets with appliances.

Switch off appliances when not in use.

Do not run wires under carpets or mats; keep wires away from hot surfaces.

PMDs and PABs

Do not leave batteries or devices charging unattended for long periods or overnight.

Do not tamper with, modify or try to repair a device on your own.

Do not buy PMDs without UL2272 certification, or PABs without EN15194 certification and the Land Transport Authority’s orange seal of approval.