Fire Department Dispatches During Seol Holiday Down 19.5% YoY...Fires Up 23%, Rescue Dispatches Down 49%

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The National Fire Agency announced on the 15th that the number of fire, rescue, and emergency medical service dispatches during this Lunar New Year holiday decreased by 19.5% compared to last year.

During the holiday period, an average of 112 fires occurred daily. This is a 23% increase compared to 91 cases last year. On the other hand, rescue dispatches averaged 624 per day, down 49% from 1,222 last year, and emergency medical dispatches averaged 4,059 per day, down 13% from 4,644 last year.

The number of rescued individuals averaged 105 per day, a 57% decrease from 241 last year, and the number of emergency medical transports was 4,159, down 13% from 4,761 last year.

Although the number of fires increased by more than 23% compared to the same period last year, the average daily number of fire-related deaths dropped by 80%, from 3.75 to 0.75. Property damage caused by fires also decreased by 31%, totaling 1.795 billion KRW compared to 2.588 billion KRW last year.

This Lunar New Year saw a significant number of wildfires and grass fires. On the 13th, an unknown cause fire broke out near the 5th ridge of Daemosan in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, prompting a Level 1 response. Approximately 0.09 hectares of forest and underbrush were destroyed, but the fire was extinguished in about two hours without any casualties.

On the 11th in Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk, a man in his 70s died in a wildfire while burning trash. On the 13th, an man in his 80s died while burning weeds in a field in Anseong, Gyeonggi, and another man in his 80s died while burning rice field ridges in Yeongam-gun, Jeonnam, on the same day.

During the holiday return travel, multiple-vehicle pileup traffic accidents also occurred. On the first day of the holiday, the 11th, three express buses collided near Oksan Service Area on the southbound Gyeongbu Expressway in Cheongju, Chungbuk, resulting in three minor injuries.

Additionally, on the 13th, a five-car pileup occurred inside the Dunnae Tunnel heading toward Gangneung on the Yeongdong Expressway, and on the 14th, a six-car collision occurred near the Seo-Cheongju Interchange on the Jungbu Expressway. Fortunately, no fatalities were reported.

Furthermore, during the holiday period, consultations for 119 emergency situations and hospital/pharmacy guidance through the 119 Emergency Situation Management Centers of the National Fire Agency and nationwide fire headquarters totaled 33,177 cases, a 31.1% decrease from last year.

By type of guidance, hospital and pharmacy information accounted for 25,526 cases, disease consultations 2,907 cases, and emergency first aid instructions 4,744 cases. A notable case occurred on the 11th in Jeonbuk, where a man in his 60s was reported unconscious after choking on rice cake. The emergency dispatcher instructed the guardian over the phone on how to perform abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver), saving the man's life before the ambulance arrived.

A National Fire Agency official stated, "Ahead of the main farming season, when burning rice field ridges or weeds, please conduct joint burning with permission from the city or county forestry department. In case of wildfires or grass fires, rather than trying to extinguish the fire alone, evacuate and report to 119." The official added, "As people spend more time indoors due to COVID-19, it is necessary to learn how to handle safety accidents such as burns and airway obstruction and to purchase basic first aid supplies like fire extinguishers in advance."

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