There were 67 fires involving active mobility devices in Singapore in 2024, up from 55 such fires in 2023. - ST/ANN
SINGAPORE: More active mobility devices (AMDs) caught fire in 2024, with many of these blazes happening in homes.
In its annual statistics report released on Feb 13, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said there were 67 fires involving AMDs in 2024, up 21.8 per cent from 55 such fires in 2023.
This is the second consecutive year that more AMD fires were reported.
The Land Transport Authority said on Jan 22 that non-compliant AMDs have led to six deaths since 2019.
SCDF’s report said power-assisted bicycles (PABs) were the most common type of AMDs involved in fires, with 31 such cases in 2024 and 32 in 2023.
The number of PMDs involved in fires rose from 18 to 25, while the number of PMAs involved in fires more than doubled from five to 11.
When asked why AMD fires continued to rise, an SCDF spokesperson told The Straits Times that a significant number of such fires involve modified devices.
These include those with additional batteries beyond the device’s original design, which voids its safety certification.
The spokesperson said: “We strongly advise the public against modifying their devices, and urge them to do their part to ensure they only use compliant devices for their own safety as well as that of their families and the community.”
Markham Shaw, chairman of the National Fire and Emergency Preparedness Council, said the serious risks posed by AMD fires underscore the need for safe usage and proper charging, and to use only original parts in devices.
The authorities have recently targeted illegally modified AMDs.
On Jan 23, Prince Bryan Tan, 29, the owner of an electric bicycle shop, was fined S$7,000 (US$5193) for selling a non-compliant battery and an illegally modified PAB. It was the first such prosecution here.
The non-compliant devices he sold were linked to two separate blazes in Hougang and Bukit Batok in 2024, with one user suffering burns.
To prevent AMD fires, SCDF urged users to purchase only devices with the UL2272 certification from original manufacturers or official retailers.
Devices should not be left charging unattended for long periods of time. They should also not be placed near combustible materials or along escape routes, said SCDF.
Five people died in fires in 2024, up from three in 2023.
In February 2024, two separate fires killed two people in Housing Board flats in Marsiling Road and Canberra Crescent respectively.
A man, 60, died in a fire at Block 76 Lorong Limau in Whampoa in May 2024, while another man, 44, died in a blaze outside a flat at Block 107 Potong Pasir Avenue 1 in August that year.
The fifth victim, a 79-year-old woman, was killed in a blaze at Block 692A Choa Chu Kang Crescent in September 2024.
In the case of two men who died in a fire at a Kaki Bukit industrial building that month, SCDF said the cause of death is still under investigation.
Eighty people were injured in fires in 2024, compared with 81 such injuries in 2023.
The total number of blazes rose from 1,954 in 2023 to 1,990 in 2024 due to more fires at commercial premises, as well as at social and communal premises, which include community centres and religious sites.
There were 968 fires in homes in 2024, similar to the 970 in 2023.
Unattended cooking and electrical fires – including faults in electrical wiring or overloaded sockets – remained the top two causes of home fires.
There were also more vehicle fires in 2024. Of the 220 such fires that year, up from 215 in 2023, only one involved an electric vehicle.
SCDF said the main causes were ignition sources, such as overheating and electrical faults in the engine compartment. - The Straits Times/ANN
