Skip to main content

Fire Forces 50 Residents to Evacuate on Christmas Eve in Tampines

 



Credit: SCDF Facebook

On Christmas Eve, about 50 residents were evacuated from Block 921 Tampines Street 91 after a fire broke out in a Housing Board flat.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) stated that the fire likely started from a power-assisted bicycle (PAB) battery that was charging in the unit's bedroom. The incident occurred around 9:40 PM, with firefighters from Tampines Fire Station and Changi Fire Station responding promptly.

Upon arrival, responders encountered thick black smoke emanating from the first-floor unit. The fire was confined to the bedroom and was successfully extinguished using a water jet. Fortunately, no one was home at the time, and no injuries were reported.

As a precaution, SCDF and the police evacuated around 50 residents from the block. Ambulance assistance was not required.

This incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers associated with charging batteries for mobility devices. The SCDF advised the public to refrain from leaving batteries or devices charging for extended periods or unattended. It also warned against purchasing or using non-original batteries for such devices.

Trends in Active Mobility Device Fires



The fire in Tampines is the latest in a worrying trend of incidents linked to active mobility devices (AMD). Earlier this year, on August 23, more than 100 residents in Yishun were evacuated following two separate fires caused by mobility device batteries.

According to SCDF’s annual statistics report released on February 21, 2023, the number of fires involving AMDs, including PABs, rose by 31% to 55 cases in 2023, up from 42 in 2022. This increase reverses a previous downward trend in AMD fires from 2019 to 2022.

The rise in these incidents underscores the importance of proper safety precautions when handling and charging AMD batteries.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Driver Receives Jail after Ramming into Pedestrians at Nex Mall

  A thirty six year old woman has been sentenced to eleven days in prison following a serious traffic accident at a busy taxi stand in Serangoon. The defendant, Li Na, who is a Singapore permanent resident, appeared in court on April 6 2026 and pleaded guilty to one charge of driving without due care and attention. The incident, which occurred outside the Nex shopping mall, resulted in grievous hurt to a forty eight year old pedestrian. In addition to the custodial sentence, the court imposed a five year disqualification from driving, which will take effect from the date of her release from prison. The events leading to the accident began on the morning of February 10 2025. Li Na had left her home at approximately 7am accompanied by her husband and their six year old son with the intention of dropping the child off at school. Initially, her husband was the one behind the wheel. After completing the school drop off, the couple drove toward the Serangoon Central area. Before reaching...

ICA Officers Arrested Sri Lankan Overstayer in Woodlands Rooftop Garden

  A twenty seven year old Sri Lankan national was apprehended by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority during a strategic pre-dawn operation on April 8 2026. The individual was located while he was sleeping in a rooftop garden area situated above a Housing and Development Board multi-storey carpark in Woodlands. A team consisting of eleven plainclothes officers participated in the mission after receiving specific intelligence regarding the man's immigration status. Official records indicated that the suspect was an overstayer whose social visit pass had reached its expiration date on June 28 2025. The operation took place at Block 574 Woodlands Drive 16 where the suspect was observed in the company of another foreign individual. To ensure a successful apprehension the officers conducted several hours of surveillance to monitor the movements of the two men and to identify potential exit points. Once all escape routes were effectively secured the team moved in to conduct identity...

Two Singaporeans Deported and Arrested in $41M Scam Crackdown

  Two Singaporean men, Wayne Soh You Chen, 27, and Brian Sie Eng Fa, 32, were formally charged on November 17 under the Organised Crime Act, following their deportation from Cambodia and Thailand, respectively. The men are accused of facilitating a massive cheating offense linked to a Cambodia-based organised criminal group whose victims collectively lost at least $41 million across 438 cases. The duo appeared in court via video-link and were each handed a charge for their involvement in the transnational syndicate. The Transnational Scam Operation The organised criminal group was allegedly based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and specialized in running government official impersonation scams specifically targeting victims in Singapore. The syndicate's activities were successfully disrupted during a joint operation executed by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the Cambodian National Police on September 9. Soh and Sie were among 34 suspects wanted by the SPF for being part of this crim...