Fire Incidents Decrease by 4% This Year Compared to Last Year, Deaths Down by 34%

Fire Agency: "Proactive Response and Distribution of Residential Fire Safety Equipment Contributed" Analysis

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] As of the end of last month, nationwide fires have decreased compared to the same period last year, and the number of deaths has significantly dropped by more than 30%. It is analyzed that proactive measures and the distribution of residential fire safety equipment contributed to the reduction in fatalities.

On the 3rd, the Fire Agency announced that as of the end of May, 16,838 fires occurred nationwide, a 4% (613 cases) decrease compared to the same period last year. In particular, the number of deaths caused by fires was 136, a 34% (70 people) decrease. There were a total of 1,074 casualties, including 136 deaths and 938 injuries, and property damage amounted to 271.9 billion won. On average, there were 112 fires per day, resulting in 7 casualties and 1.8 billion won in property damage daily.

Specifically, among fire occurrence locations, deaths decreased by 43 in non-residential facilities such as industrial facilities and warehouses, and by 21 in residential facilities such as houses. The Fire Agency diagnosed that the principle of prioritizing the highest-level response by concentrating firefighting forces in the early stages of fires and the expansion of residential fire safety equipment such as fire alarms contributed to the reduction in fire-related deaths.

This year alone, 116 cases of Level 1 response, which dispatches the entire firefighting force of the jurisdictional fire station, have been issued, and 11 cases of Level 2 response at the city/provincial fire headquarters level have also been issued, responding with superior firefighting forces from the early stages of fires. The expansion of residential fire safety equipment distribution has been continuously promoted and installed for all vulnerable groups, including basic livelihood security recipients, up to 2022, providing residential fire safety equipment (fire extinguishers, standalone smoke detectors).

Additionally, through the Fire Alarm 2580 Project, public campaigns are being promoted to ensure that by 2025, more than 80% of all homes are equipped with residential fire safety equipment. Nam Hwa-young, Director of Fire Policy at the Fire Agency, urged, "To reduce casualties caused by fires, residents in large construction sites and multi-use facilities should conduct thorough fire safety inspections, and the public should actively cooperate in installing residential fire safety equipment."

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