Suncheon, Fire on a Running City Bus... Driver's Heroic Effort

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Hyung-kwon] Suncheon Fire Station (Chief Ha Soo-cheol) announced that the bus driver extinguished a fire that occurred on a bus heading from NC Department Store to Suncheon Prison around 2 p.m. the previous day using a fire extinguisher, preventing major damage.

According to the fire station, the bus driver Mr. Lee (63 years old) was driving the bus when he heard a burning smell. After stopping to check, he saw sparks and smoke coming from the right tire.

Mr. Lee quickly informed the passengers of the fire situation, evacuated them to a safe area, and immediately used the fire extinguisher installed in the vehicle to extinguish the fire at an early stage, preventing a major accident.

Mr. Lee said, “While waiting for the signal, I smelled something burning and saw smoke, so when I got off, the flames were quite large. I only thought that I had to extinguish it immediately with the fire extinguisher inside the vehicle.”

He also said, “I just did what anyone should do,” and added, “I’m really glad that none of the passengers were injured.”

Suncheon Fire Station is promoting the installation of fire extinguishers in all vehicles to ensure citizens’ safety amid ongoing vehicle fire incidents.

In particular, a vehicle fire extinguisher is essential for early fire suppression. Types of vehicle fire extinguishers include powder, halogen, carbon dioxide, foam, and wet chemical extinguishers. It is necessary to check on the extinguisher’s surface whether it is suitable for automobiles and to equip an appropriate extinguisher according to the vehicle’s type and size.

Ha Soo-cheol, Chief of Suncheon Fire Station, said, “Anyone would be flustered and scared regardless of the scale when a fire breaks out, so I am grateful for Mr. Lee’s courage in fighting the fire.” He added, “Thanks to the prompt use of the fire extinguisher, the fire was prevented from spreading and the damage was minimized.”

He also urged, “As shown in this case, please equip fire extinguishers to prepare for unexpected fires,” and said, “We will continue to do our best to foster a safety culture through ongoing education and promotional activities.”

Suncheon Fire Station is investigating the exact cause of the fire, which is believed to have started from overheating of the brake lining causing the wheel to catch fire.

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