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PMD fire destroys Woodlands HDB corridor: Owner, 59, claims device unused for 6 months, battery dead
He said the PMD was previously used for food delivery but left outside after it was spoilt.
March 25, 2026, 09:48 AM
A personal mobility device (PMD) parked along the 12th-floor common corridor of a Housing and Development Board (HDB) block in Woodlands caught fire on Mar. 22.
The blaze destroyed the corridor.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to the fire at Block 693D Woodlands Avenue 6 on Sunday at about 6pm.
SCDF extinguished the fire with a hose.
One person was assessed by SCDF paramedics for smoke inhalation and was conveyed to Singapore General Hospital.
Another person, who felt unwell, was conveyed to Woodlands Health Campus.
Preliminary findings indicate that the fire had likely started from the battery of the PMD, SCDF said.
Explosions apparently heard
A resident of the block tipped Shin Min Daily News off about the fire.
Multiple explosions were apparently heard, and the corridor was seen engulfed in flames and thick smoke, eyewitnesses said.
SCDF personnel were seen removing items from outside the flat that were blocking the stairs.
A Shin Min reporter observed that the passageway was cluttered with a shelf, bed frame, food delivery bag, and trolley.
At least one PMD and five bicycles, all belonging to the same person, were parked along the corridor.
PMD owner said device unused for 6 months
The owner of the PMD that caught fire said he was not home at the time as he was visiting his mother for Hari Raya Puasa.
The 59-year-old man, who delivers food for a living, said: “The device that caught fire was the one I used for food delivery, but it has been spoilt for six months. When I took it for repairs, they said the battery was dead. There was nowhere to put it inside, so I parked it along the corridor. I don’t understand why the authorities said the accident was caused by a battery problem.”
The resident, who has been living in Woodlands for about seven years, said he keeps another electric bicycle inside his home.
This was the first time a fire occurred.
Shin Min reported that one woman apparently fainted when she was evacuated downstairs.
To prevent such fires, SCDF said the public should adopt safe practices, including not charging batteries for an extended period of time or overnight.
They also should not modify active mobility devices and avoid purchasing or using non-original batteries.
Top photo via Shin Min Daily News
