SCDF reports 26.9% drop in active mobility device fires but overall fire cases rise in 2025
Fires involving active mobility devices dropped sharply in 2025, even as Singapore saw a slight increase in total fire incidents. The SCDF continues outreach and enforcement efforts as electrical and cooking-related fires dominate home fire causes.
- Fires involving active mobility devices (AMDs) fell by 26.9% in 2025, despite a rise in PMD-related cases.
- Total fire incidents rose 3% to 2,050, with unattended cooking and electrical faults remaining leading causes.
- SCDF responded to over 257,000 emergency medical calls, with nearly half involving seniors.
Fires involving active mobility devices (AMDs) declined by 26.9% in 2025, falling from 67 cases in 2024 to 49, according to annual statistics released by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) on 11 February 2026.
Despite this reduction, overall fire incidents rose 3% year-on-year to 2,050, with residential and non-residential premises contributing significantly to the increase.
While fires involving power-assisted bicycles (PABs) and personal mobility aids (PMAs) dropped by 61.3% and 45.5% respectively, cases linked to personal mobility devices (PMDs) rose 24% to 31 in 2025.
SCDF warned that fires involving such devices remain a concern, particularly in residential settings where they can spread rapidly within confined areas.
The agency reiterated its public education efforts through social media advisories and outreach activities under the "Be Device-Safe" programme. These include reminders to avoid charging AMD batteries unattended or overnight, and to refrain from using non-original batteries.
The SCDF report shows that of the 49 AMD fires recorded in 2025, 34 occurred in residential premises, one in non-residential, and 14 in non-building premises such as roads and open spaces. This marks a decline from 2024 figures, where 44 AMD fires occurred in residential areas.
Rising fire incidents in homes and businesses
Of the 2,050 fire calls SCDF attended to last year, 1,051 were in residential premises—an increase of 8.6% over 2024.
Despite a 5.1% fall in unattended cooking fires to 318 cases, such incidents remained the top cause of home fires. Electrical-origin fires increased slightly to 304 cases, accounting for 29% of all residential fires.
SCDF noted that these electrical fires were largely due to faulty wiring, appliance issues, or overloaded sockets. Of these, 34 cases were specifically linked to AMDs—a 22.7% drop from the year before.
Non-residential buildings, including commercial, industrial, and communal premises, saw 471 fires in 2025, a 13.5% increase from 2024. Electrical faults were again the primary cause, accounting for 43.5% of these cases.
Fires in non-building premises, including roads and open areas, fell 13% to 528. Vehicle fires comprised the majority in this category but declined by 12.3% to 193 cases.
Only four of the 226 total vehicle fires involved electric vehicles (EVs), confirming their lower risk profile compared to internal combustion engine vehicles.
Emergency calls trend upwards, especially among seniors
SCDF responded to 257,158 emergency medical services (EMS) calls in 2025, marking a 4.8% increase over the previous year.
Nearly half of these calls involved individuals aged 65 and above. Medical-related cases made up 78.6% of emergency calls, while trauma cases and road traffic accidents accounted for 16.9% and 4.5%, respectively.
The agency projects that EMS call volumes will continue to grow in the coming years due to an ageing population.
It has encouraged the public to use the NurseFirst triage helpline for non-life-threatening cases, helping preserve the 995 hotline for critical emergencies.
Fire safety enforcement: More notices issued, but fewer court actions
In 2025, SCDF carried out 14,750 fire safety enforcement checks. It issued 2,668 Fire Hazard Abatement Notices (FHANs)—a 3.5% increase from the previous year—with non-maintenance of firefighting equipment being the most cited issue (28.7%). Notices of Offence (NOOs) rose by 13.9% to 1,209, most commonly for unapproved fire safety works.
Despite the increased number of notices, court actions declined by 23.4% to 82. The leading violations were unauthorised change of use and unauthorised fire safety works.
SCDF pledged to maintain proactive enforcement while working closely with stakeholders including building owners, Town Councils, and fire safety managers through seminars and dialogues.
Community engagement remains strong
The Community First Responders (CFR) network, supported through the SCDF myResponder app, saw a 17.4% increase in new sign-ups, reaching 47,240 in 2025.
The response rate to cardiac arrest and minor fire alerts rose significantly, reaching 72.4% overall—an increase from 50.3% the previous year.
