Daejeon Kimchi Refrigerator Fires '11 Cases Annually on Average'... 96% Due to Electrical Causes

The photo is unrelated to the article. Source=Asia Economy DB

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] In Daejeon, an average of 11 kimchi refrigerator fires have occurred annually over the past six years. Kimchi refrigerator fires are occurring frequently nationwide, with the main causes identified as electrical factors during the use of aging kimchi refrigerators.

According to the Daejeon Fire Headquarters on the 19th, a total of 66 kimchi refrigerator fires occurred in the area from 2015 to 2020. These fires resulted in 4 injuries and property damage worth 336 million KRW.

During the same period, 1,496 kimchi refrigerator fires occurred nationwide, causing 6 deaths and 137 injuries of varying severity.

Kimchi refrigerator fires have shown an increasing trend nationwide each year. In Daejeon, the number of kimchi refrigerator fires, which was 7 to 8 cases in 2015 and 2016, has been occurring between 10 and 14 cases annually since 2017.

Over the past six years, the locations of kimchi refrigerator fires in Daejeon were mostly residential facilities with 63 cases (95.5%). There were 2 cases (3.0%) in restaurants and 1 case (1.5%) in religious facilities.

The cause of the fires was electrical factors in 95.5% (63 cases), the highest proportion. Specifically, insulation deterioration accounted for 59.1% (39 cases), tracking fires 21.2% (14 cases), unidentified short circuits 9.1% (6 cases), and overload/overcurrent 4.5% (3 cases), in descending order of occurrence.

A representative from the Daejeon Fire Headquarters said, “As home appliances such as kimchi refrigerators age, the risk of fires and other hazards increases, so users need to be cautious. Especially in Daejeon, statistics show that kimchi refrigerator fires occur most frequently in July, so we urge citizens to pay attention to fire prevention and management in homes during the summer season.”

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