Seoul City Fires Most Frequent in January... Caution at Traditional Markets and Construction Sites

Analysis of fire incidents in Seoul over the past five years revealed that fires occur most frequently in January.

The Seoul Fire & Disaster Headquarters announced on the 5th that, based on an analysis of fires, disasters, and safety accidents from 2018 to 2022, there were 2,629 fires in January, the highest number throughout the year. This accounts for 9.5% of the total fire incidents (27,684 cases).

Additionally, casualties caused by fires in January totaled 210 people, including 35 deaths. Regarding the causes of fires in January, careless handling accounted for 1,428 cases, representing 54.3%. Among the detailed types of fires caused by carelessness, fires due to unattended embers, flames, or fire sources were the most frequent in January, with 172 cases.

By location, there were 16 fires in traditional markets and 100 fires at construction sites, both peaking in January. Furthermore, looking at 119 emergency dispatches related to safety accidents, January saw an increase in traffic accident safety measures and icicle removal. Traffic accident safety measures in January numbered 2,916, a 10.5% (278 cases) increase from the previous month, and icicle removal safety measures also reached 1,600 cases, the highest in the year.

Lee Woong-gi, Head of Field Response at the Seoul Fire & Disaster Headquarters, stated, "January, the peak of winter, experiences the highest number of fires caused by cold weather throughout the year," adding, "We will do our best to implement fire safety measures to protect the safety and lives of citizens."

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