Jeonnam Fire Department Urges 'Pre-Inspection' to Prevent Air Conditioner Fires in Early Summer Weather

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] The Jeonnam Fire Headquarters (Chief Ma Jaeyoon) has urged a pre-inspection of cooling devices to prevent fires as early summer weather continues.

According to the Jeonnam Fire Headquarters on the 11th, in the past five years (2015?2019), there have been 103 fires involving seasonal items such as cooling devices during the summer months (June to August), resulting in property damage worth 1.12 billion KRW.

In particular, in 2015, there were 14 cases (2.7% of all fire causes) with property damage of 23 million KRW, while in 2019, there were 27 cases (5.5% of all fire causes) with property damage of 157 million KRW. The average annual increase rate of fire incidents was 17.8%, and property damage increased by 60.1%.

Examining the causes of fire, mechanical factors such as overheating and overload accounted for the largest share at 42.7% (44 cases), followed by electrical factors at 40.8% (42 cases), and carelessness at 14.6% (15 cases).

By location, residential facilities accounted for 47 cases (45.6%), industrial facilities such as factories 17 cases (16.5%), and other buildings and restaurants each had 9 cases (8.7%).

By product, fans accounted for 37 cases (35.9%), air conditioners 22 cases (21.4%), dehumidifiers and others 21 cases (20.4%), air conditioning equipment 13 cases (12.6%), and other devices such as insect traps 10 cases (9.7%).

To prevent summer cooling device fires, experts explain that the following rules must be followed: ▲ remove dust from outdoor units before operating air conditioners ▲ check for any damaged wires ▲ use dedicated single outlets for air conditioners ▲ install outdoor units in well-ventilated, non-enclosed areas ▲ prohibit storing items around outdoor units.

Ma Jaeyoon, Chief of Jeonnam Fire Headquarters, said, “As temperatures gradually rise, a sharp increase in the use of air conditioners and fans is expected. Safety inspections should be conducted before using seasonal items, and safety rules must be followed during use.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.