August Cooling Equipment Fire and Beehive Removal Dispatches Reach Annual Peak: "Caution for Prevention and Daily Safety Management"

Electrical factor fires most frequent in August... Air conditioner and cooling device fires also concentrated
Bee activity intensifies with heatwave... Bee hive removal dispatches most frequent in August

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters has urged caution in fire prevention and daily safety management in August, based on an analysis of fire, disaster, and safety accident statistics over the past five years.

According to the Fire and Disaster Headquarters on the 3rd, during the statistical analysis period, there were 2,424 fires in August (an annual average of 484.8), accounting for 8.6% of all fires over five years. There were a total of 133 casualties, including 7 deaths.

By cause of fire, electrical factors caused 880 fires, the highest number occurring in August throughout the year. In particular, fires caused by cooling devices, including 75 air conditioner fires, totaled 100, accounting for 27.2% of the 368 cooling device fires over five years, making August the month with the most such fires.

By ignition type of cooling device fires, short circuits due to poor wire contact were the most common with 34 cases, followed by short circuits caused by wire insulation damage with 19 cases, and overheating/overload with 5 cases.

Meanwhile, from 2017 to 2021, there were 87,898 119 emergency dispatches related to safety accidents in August. Among these, the type of safety accident requiring caution in August was found to be beehives. According to statistics from the Fire and Disaster Headquarters, the number of beehive removal dispatches over the past five years was 37,007, and 11,882 beehive removal dispatches were reported and safety measures taken in August. About one-third of the annual beehive removal dispatches were concentrated in August.

Jung Seon-woong, head of the Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters Field Response Team, said, “August, when heatwaves and heavy rains alternate, is the month with the highest number of various safety accidents throughout the year,” and added, “We ask for the interest and caution of citizens regarding fires and safety accidents.”

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