Jeju Fire Department Issues 'Winter Heating Equipment Fire Warning' on 29th

Published 27 Nov.2023 11:42(KST)

The Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Fire Safety Headquarters (Chief Kim Su-hwan) issued a winter heating appliance fire advisory on the 29th to prevent casualties caused by fires as the use of heating appliances increases during the winter season, and is embarking on thorough safety management.

According to the Jeju Fire Headquarters on the 27th, a total of 73 heating appliance fires occurred in the Jeju area over the past three years (2020?2022), resulting in 4 casualties (2 deaths, 2 injuries) and property damage amounting to approximately 490 million KRW.

Winter Heating Equipment Fire Warning Poster. [Photo by Jeju Fire Department]

Fires occurring between December and February, when the use of heating appliances increases due to cold weather, accounted for 46% (63 cases) of the total, with casualties also concentrated during this period.

By type, electric heating appliance fires were the most frequent with 27 cases (37.0%), followed by wood-burning heating appliance fires with 21 cases (28.8%), and residential boiler fires with 15 cases (20.5%).

In particular, fires caused by negligence accounted for 53.4% (39 cases) of the total, indicating that strict adherence to safety rules when using heating appliances is especially required.

On January 6th last year, at around 8:14 p.m., a fire caused by an electric stove in a multi-family housing complex in Geonip-dong, Jeju City, resulted in one death and approximately 25 million KRW in property damage.

The Jeju Fire Safety Headquarters plans to strengthen fire prevention publicity by issuing the winter heating appliance fire advisory, establishing a cooperative system with related organizations to disseminate heating appliance safety rules, and establishing a rapid response system in case of fire occurrence.

Kim Su-hwan, Chief of the Jeju Fire Safety Headquarters, said, “As the cold weather increases the time spent indoors, fires can lead to significant casualties, so special caution is necessary. It is important to check fire risk factors in daily life and to use heating appliances while strictly following safety rules.”