{
  "id": 15406058,
  "title": "Personal mobility aid catches fire at Yishun HDB block, no injuries reported",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/18/personal-mobility-aid-catches-fire-at-yishun-hdb-block-no-injuries",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-18T12:24:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Straits Times",
    "slug": "straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/personal-mobility-aid-catches-fire-at-yishun-hdb-block-no-injuries-reported"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On October 18 in Yishun, Singapore, a personal mobility aid (PMA) caught fire at Block 438 Yishun Avenue 11, prompting the evacuation of over fifty residents but with no injuries reported. The incident also caused a temporary disruption to the electricity supply to two adjacent flats. The MP for the area, Syed Harun Alhabsyi, stated that repairs were coordinated by the Nee Soon Town Council and power was restored around 4 PM.\n\nThe Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) responded to the fire call at approximately 9:05 AM, extinguishing the blaze using a Compressed Air Foam trolley. They confirmed that the PMA was the source of the fire and reported no injuries, noting that preliminary findings indicated the PMA as the origin.\n\nSyed Harun expressed gratitude to the SCDF and grassroots volunteers for their prompt and supportive actions, offering assistance to affected residents. He assured them that power would be restored by the end of the day. The town council team and residents' committee center were also made available to aid those impacted.\n\nSeparately, the police reported that during their fire response, they encountered a man causing a disturbance by shouting. The 57-year-old was arrested for public drunkenness, with investigations still ongoing. He is believed to be unrelated to the PMA fire incident.\n\nSyed Harun emphasized the importance of fire safety and advised PMA users to visit https://go.gov.sg/bedevicesafe for safety tips on the proper use and charging of such devices. The SCDF further urged PMA users to follow these safety guidelines.\n\nOverall, the number of fires in Singapore increased slightly in 2025, with electrical fires rising 3% to 2,050 from 1,990 in 2024. While the total number of fires grew, the incidents of electrical fires in residential areas decreased. However, active mobility device (AMD) fires, including personal mobility devices (PMDs) and PMAs, saw a slight increase, with 34 AMD fires in 2025, compared to 67 in 2024.",
  "summary": "Power to 2 units restored and police separately arrest man who was causing a scene for drunkenness.",
  "key_points": [
    "Personal mobility aid catches fire at Yishun HDB block on October 18",
    "No injuries reported during fire evacuation of 50+ residents",
    "Electricity supply temporarily disrupted to adjacent flats"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}