BlueSG car catches fire along BKE, 1 person sustains minor burn injury

A BlueSG electric vehicle caught fire along the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) on Feb. 17 at about 9:20pm.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to a vehicular fire along BKE towards Woodlands near Dairy Farm Road exit.

Contained fire

Upon arrival, SCDF firefighters covered the car with a vehicle fire blanket to isolate the fire and contain the spread of smoke.

Three water jets were deployed to cool the vehicle and a specialised equipment was used to penetrate the car's undercarriage battery housing and inject water directly to the burning battery to extinguish the fire.

After the fire was extinguished, firefighters continued to damp down the electric vehicle to prevent the fire from reigniting.

Fire at higher risk of reigniting

SCDF explained that electric vehicle fires have a higher risk of reignition even after the initial fire is extinguished, due to the nature of lithium-ion batteries.

A person was assessed by an SCDF paramedic for a minor burn injury and conveyed to Singapore General Hospital.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Equip car with fire extinguisher

SCDF added that members of the public are advised to equip their vehicles with a fire extinguisher to help extinguish an incipient fire.

However, they should not attempt to fight the fire if the fire is threatening to engulf the vehicle or if it involves an EV battery.

They are advised to retreat at least 15m away from the fire and call 995 for assistance instead.

BlueSG response

In response to Mothership's queries, a spokesperson for BlueSG said: "Our immediate priority is the well-being of the driver, who sustained a minor burn injury and is resting at home after receiving medical treatment."

"There were no fatalities or third-party vehicles involved."

The spokesperson added: "At BlueSG, safety is our top priority and we are working closely with the authorities to determine the cause of the incident."

"We want to assure our customers and the public that we take vehicle safety and maintenance seriously are conducting a thorough review of our fleet to ensure the highest safety standards are upheld."

Top photo via SCDF