Scream heard after laptop 'explodes' and catches fire in Woodlands Library
A laptop caught fire at Woodlands Library on Jan 23.
Stomper Koh said she was seated some distance away on the second floor of the library when she heard a scream and a loud sound at around 6.35pm.
"Someone's laptop exploded," she told Stomp. "Many people rushed over, so I went to take a look too."
The Stomper shared a photo and a two-second clip showing smoke coming from a laptop on a table and a man holding a fire extinguisher.
After capturing the footage, Koh decided to leave the library for her own safety.
"I felt it was safer to leave as soon as possible," she said.
She added that recent reports about device-related incidents left her concerned about the potential risks of overheating or overcharging electronic devices.
"I thought it would be good to bring attention to this too — that devices should not be overcharged and people should avoid placing their faces near them," she said.
In response to a Stomp query, the National Library Board (NLB) confirmed a minor fire involving a patron's laptop occurred at Level 2 of Woodlands Library at 6.40pm.
"As a precaution, patrons were requested to vacate Level 2 due to residual smoke," an NLB spokesperson said.
"The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was alerted and assessed the area safe to open to the public."
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) told Stomp it was alerted to a fire at 900 South Woodlands Drive at about 6.45pm.
"The fire involved a laptop," an SCDF spokesperson said.
"A member of the public extinguished the fire using a dry powder fire extinguisher before SCDF's arrival."
There were no reported injuries and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
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