Caution for 'Negligent Fires' During Lunar New Year Holiday, Residential Fires Account for 30%

"Do Not Leave Your Spot While Cooking and Keep the Area Around Heat Sources Organized"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Ministry of the Interior and Safety has urged special caution against fires that may occur due to carelessness during cooking over the Lunar New Year holiday.

On the 10th, the Ministry emphasized that from 2016 to 2020, there were 2,132 fires during the Lunar New Year holiday over the past five years, resulting in 18 deaths and 80 injuries. The proportion of residential fires among all fires during the Lunar New Year holiday was 30.0%, which is slightly higher than the usual 27.3% residential fire rate among all fires over the past five years.

Looking at the trend of fires during the Lunar New Year over the past five years, the number of incidents has gradually decreased, but casualties have not declined. Additionally, an average of 43 residential fires occur daily during the Lunar New Year holiday, which is 38.7% (12 fires) more than the average daily 31 residential fires over the past five years.

Most residential fires were caused by carelessness (58.1%, 371 out of 639 cases). Among careless fires, those occurring during cooking accounted for the largest share at 26.4% (98 out of 371 cases), followed by fires caused by leaving embers unattended at 25.9% (96 cases), and fires caused by cigarette butts at 20.2% (75 cases).

By time of day, fires most frequently occurred between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on the day before Lunar New Year, when food preparation is in full swing, and between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Lunar New Year day and the following day, around lunchtime.

In response, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety emphasized the importance of tidying up the surroundings before starting cooking in the kitchen and ensuring that flammable materials such as product packaging are not placed near the gas stove.

Kim Jong-han, Director of the Prevention and Safety Policy Bureau at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, said, “This year’s Lunar New Year holiday is expected to be spent at each person’s home rather than gathering with extended family, which may actually increase the risk of fire compared to before. Please pay attention to keeping the area around fire sources tidy and never leave the stove unattended while cooking to ensure a safe Lunar New Year holiday.”

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