Seoul City to Implement 'Fire Safety Measures' for Expected Spring Fires... 26% of Fires Occurred in Spring Over the Past 3 Years

Residential Facilities Lead with 1,748 Cases... Negligence Tops as the Leading Cause of Fire Ignition

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters has established a 'Spring Fire Safety Plan' and is promoting customized safety measures for fire-vulnerable targets, safety management of multi-use facilities and traditional temples, among other initiatives.

According to the Fire and Disaster Headquarters on the 12th, there were 17,337 fires in the past three years. By season, there were 4,488 cases (25.9%) in spring, 4,409 cases (25.4%) in summer, 3,972 cases (22.9%) in autumn, and 4,468 cases (25.8%) in winter, showing that spring had the highest number of fires.

The number of deaths caused by fires was highest in winter with 49 people (38.6%), followed by spring with 35 people (27.6%), autumn with 33 people (26.0%), and summer with 10 people (7.8%). Spring fires numbered 1,547 in 2018, 1,571 in 2019, and 1,370 in 2020.

The place with the most fires was residential facilities, including apartment complexes, with 1,748 cases (38.9%). The causes of fires in residential facilities were analyzed as follows: negligence 2,838 cases (63.2%), electrical factors 848 cases (18.9%), mechanical factors 202 cases (4.5%), and arson 117 cases (2.6%).

Accordingly, the Fire and Disaster Headquarters plans to promote the 'Spring Fire Safety Plan' through ▲ customized safety measures for fire-vulnerable targets ▲ safety management of multi-use facilities and traditional temples ▲ priority safety measures for forest fires to protect lives ▲ and focused publicity on residential fire safety.

As part of customized safety measures for fire-vulnerable targets, a 'Residential Fire Safety Volunteer Group and Small Room Specialized Inspection Team' will operate targeting 5,555 households in 46 areas, and joint safety inspections with related agencies such as fire, electricity, and gas will be conducted.

To prevent fires in traditional markets, fire safety consulting will be conducted through the 'One Traditional Market, One Firefighter Responsibility System,' and the 'Store Inspection Day' centered on merchant associations will be held every second Wednesday of the month. Additionally, to enable rapid initial response in case of fire, emergency extinguishing devices will be improved to a hose reel system for easier use. Fire prevention patrols will be regularly conducted at 791 locations including large construction sites, and fire station chiefs and others will visit sites to check fire prevention status.

To prepare for forest fires caused by the dry spring climate, additional fire hose storage boxes for wildfire suppression will be installed, and high-pressure pump trucks will be concentrated to prioritize the protection of lives in residential facilities near forests in case of fire. Furthermore, this year has been designated as the 'Year of Focused Promotion for Residential Fire Alarms,' and information on 'installation of residential fire facilities' and fire safety will be provided using advertising monitors in subways and buses, local newsletters, SNS, etc., along with the production of themed promotional content.

Choi Tae-young, head of the Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters, said, "Considering the dry weather in spring, we will implement thorough fire safety measures," and added, "We will do our best to protect citizens' lives from various accidents such as fires."

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