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SINGAPORE \u2013 Four people were taken to hospital late on Jan 9 after a fire, likely caused by a personal mobility aid (PMA), broke out in a Tampines HDB flat.<\/p>\n
About 60 people from the affected block were evacuated as a precautionary measure.<\/p>\n
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said on Jan 9 that it was alerted to the fire at Block 898 Tampines Street 81 at about 11.30pm that day.<\/p>\n
The fire, involving the contents of a living room in a 12th-floor unit, was extinguished with one water jet.<\/p>\n
Four people were assessed for smoke inhalation and taken to Singapore General Hospital.<\/p>\n
\u201cPreliminary findings indicate that the fire had likely originated from a personal mobility aid,\u201d SCDF said.<\/p>\n
Firefighters had been fighting a blaze that broke out in another Tampines residential unit just two hours earlier.<\/p>\n
About 100 people <\/p>\n were evacuated from Block 29 Tampines Street 86<\/p>\n <\/a> as a precaution after the fire broke out in a bedroom on the 15th floor at around 9pm on Jan 9. A firefighter was taken to hospital after experiencing heat exhaustion.<\/p>\n PMAs, such as motorised wheelchairs and three- or four-wheeled mobility scooters, are considered active mobility devices and are designed for those who are unable to walk or have walking difficulties.<\/p>\n Minister of State for Transport Baey Yam Keng said in November 2025 that <\/p>\n LTA is considering tougher enforcement action<\/p>\n <\/a> against the keeping, use and sale of non-compliant mobility devices.<\/p>\n Common illegal modifications on non-compliant devices include changing electrical parts such as the battery and electric motor to third-party or non-original versions, which voids the safety certification and poses a significant fire risk.<\/p>\n From January to October 2025, there were 44 fires involving mobility devices.<\/p>\n In 2024, 67 blazes involved such devices, up from 55 in 2023 and 42 in 2022. There were 63 such fires in 2021 and 68 in 2020.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n