SCDF encourages drivers to keep fire extinguisher in vehicles

Drivers are advised to have a fire extinguisher stored in their vehicles, said the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) in a Facebook post on Feb 18. It gave the advice after publicising its efforts in putting out a fire involving a car on Feb 17 along the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE).

The SCDF said the fire occurred along the BKE towards Woodlands near the Dairy Farm Road exit. SCDF was alerted to the incident at around 9.20pm. One person was taken to the Singapore General Hospital for a "minor burn injury".

The vehicle in the fire was an electric vehicle (EV), SCDF added.

Upon arriving at the scene, firefighters worked to isolate the fire and contain the spread of smoke by covering the EV with a vehicle fire blanket. Three water jets were also used to cool the EV.

The firefighters then extinguished the fire using a specialised equipment, which penetrated the EV's undercarriage battery housing, and injected water directly to the burning battery. They continued to damp down the EV to prevent a fire from reigniting.

Fires involving EVs have a higher risk of reignition even after the initial fire is extinguished due to the lithium-ion batteries in the vehicles, said SCDF.

As such, while it is recommended to have a fire extinguisher ready to snuff out emerging fires, drivers are advised not to try to put out a fire if it involves an EV battery.

It is also not advisable to fight the fire if the fire is threatening to engulf the vehicle, said SCDF.

In such cases, people should keep a safe distance of at least 15m from the fire and call 995 for assistance.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. According to an annual statistics report released on Feb 13 by the SCDF, there were 220 vehicle fires in 2024, up from 215 in 2023. Only one of the vehicle fires in 2024 involved an electric vehicle.

SCDF said the main causes of the fires were ignition sources, such as overheating and electrical faults in the engine compartment.