Seoul to Conduct Comprehensive Inspections of Residential Vinyl Greenhouses... Aiming to Reduce Fire Hazards

Preemptive Inspections for 276 Residential Vinyl Greenhouses Ahead of Monsoon Season
Collaboration with Local Fire Stations, District Offices, and Electrical Safety Corporations
Fire Safety Facilities and Resident Safety Consulting Conducted Together

The Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Headquarters announced on the 17th that it will carry out joint inspections of “residential vinyl greenhouses” in cooperation with relevant agencies.

Residential vinyl greenhouses refer to facilities constructed with vinyl and steel frames, used as living spaces. Due to their structural characteristics, fires can spread rapidly and pose a significant threat to human life. Currently, there are 18 areas in Seoul with clusters of such residential vinyl greenhouses, totaling 276 buildings.

Residential vinyl greenhouse complex fire scene in the Seoul metropolitan area. Photo by Yonhap News

The headquarters will conduct preemptive joint inspections covering fire, electrical, and gas safety at all residential vinyl greenhouses in Seoul, in collaboration with local fire stations, district offices, the Korea Electrical Safety Corporation, and the Korea Gas Safety Corporation. The inspections will focus on: ▲ maintenance of residential fire safety facilities, visible fire extinguishers, and emergency fire suppression devices ▲ aging and proper functioning of electrical systems such as wiring, distribution boards, and circuit breakers ▲ whether portable gas cylinders are excessively stored, and the proper installation and leakage checks of LPG cylinders and gas hoses.

Along with the inspections, fire safety consulting will also be provided to residents. The consulting will include guidance on safe use of electrical appliances, management of flammable materials near ignition sources, securing evacuation routes, ensuring fire truck access, and instructions on using visible fire extinguishers and emergency fire suppression devices.

The headquarters plans to immediately address any issues that can be corrected on-site during the joint inspections, and will continue to coordinate with relevant agencies to ensure that items requiring further improvement are properly addressed.

Hong Younggeun, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Headquarters, stated, “Because residential vinyl greenhouses are highly susceptible to rapid fire spread and serious casualties, proactive prevention and management are essential. Through these joint inspections, we will thoroughly identify risk factors in the areas of fire, electricity, and gas, and do our utmost to ensure the fire safety of residents’ living spaces.”

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