Spring Fires Decrease by 6% Compared to Last Year ... Deaths from Icheon Fire Increase by 55%

At the site of a fire at a logistics warehouse construction site in Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, where 38 people died, police forensic investigators are moving on May 3rd for a second detailed search to find remains and belongings that have not yet been recovered.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The number of fires nationwide this spring slightly decreased compared to last year, and the combined casualties of deaths and injuries from fires also declined. However, the number of deaths surged due to the Icheon frozen warehouse fire.

According to the analysis of the "Spring Fire Safety Measures" announced by the National Fire Agency on the 18th, the total number of spring fires nationwide from March to May this year was 11,203, a 5.6% decrease from 11,868 during the same period last year.

During this period, casualties from fires totaled 637, down 5.6% (38 people) from 675 last year. However, among them, the number of deaths was 129, a 55.4% increase from 83 in the same period last year, while injuries were 508, a 14.2% decrease from 592 in the same period last year.

By type, building fires were the most frequent with 6,389 cases, resulting in 501 casualties (111 deaths and 390 injuries).

The number of building fires decreased by 7.3% (503 cases), but casualties increased by 4.6% (22 people). In particular, deaths from building fires surged by 82.0% (50 people) due to incidents such as the Icheon frozen warehouse fire.

The number of forest fires (wildfires and grass fires) was 923, down 24.8% from last year, with casualties and property damage decreasing by 57.8% and 86.3%, respectively.

By cause, negligence accounted for the largest share at 59% (6,610 cases), followed by electrical factors at 18% (2,046 cases), and mechanical factors at 8% (936 cases). Among negligence causes, cigarette butts (37%), garbage burning (15%), leaving embers or flames unattended (13%), and cooking food (12%) were the most common.

By location, non-residential facilities such as factories and warehouses accounted for the largest share at 33% (3,752 cases), followed by garbage at 24% (2,692 cases), residential areas at 24% (2,637 cases), vehicles at 10% (1,165 cases), and forests at 8% (923 cases).

By month, April accounted for 38% of the total with 4,301 cases, followed by March with 4,001 cases, and May with 2,901 cases.

Choi Byung-il, Director of Fire Policy at the National Fire Agency, said, "Although fires decreased this spring, the increase in deaths highlights the importance of preventing large-scale fires." He urged, "Since about 60% of fires are caused by negligence, the public should voluntarily participate by raising awareness of fire prevention and learning how to act in case of fire."

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