Jeonbuk Fire Headquarters: "Evacuate First in Case of Fire"

The Jeonbuk Fire Headquarters has recently seen a sharp increase in cases where elderly residents in rural areas attempt to extinguish fires themselves and end up dying, prompting efforts to devise measures to minimize damage to the residents.

According to Jeonbuk Fire on the 13th, out of 10 fire-related deaths this year, 8 were people who died while trying to put out the fire themselves. The average age of the deceased was 78, and it appears that they either attempted fire suppression recklessly or tried to remove belongings but were unable to escape, ultimately dying from smoke inhalation.

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House fires involve a large accumulation of combustible materials such as furniture and household items, and the fire reaches its peak within about 5 minutes, so if one cannot escape early, they can be harmed in an instant.

In the case of wildfires, most incidents occur when people panic as the fire rapidly spreads while burning trash or rice field embankments and suffer accidents during self-extinguishing attempts.

In the early stages of a fire, if a fire extinguisher is nearby and the user knows how to operate it well, initial suppression attempts can be made. However, if the fire has already spread, one must quickly evacuate the scene, and in the case of forest fires, even in the early stages, one should promptly leave the danger area and report to 119.

As the risks of self-extinguishing have recently increased, the fire headquarters and fire stations across the province are implementing various measures to reduce casualties from fires in rural areas.

First, the 119 call center emphasizes evacuation to a safe place to callers upon initial receipt of a report, and plans to strengthen campaigns through radio, YouTube, and other media by producing promotional videos on this topic.

Through cooperation with related organizations, they plan to strengthen focused fire safety management by expanding the replacement of old electrical wiring and the distribution of residential fire safety facilities targeting vulnerable groups such as the elderly and disabled.

Additionally, village broadcasts will prohibit and warn against burning trash and weeds in dangerous areas, and preventive patrols by retired firefighters and volunteer fire brigades will be intensified.

They plan to regularly and repeatedly increase training on fire extinguisher use for village residents and the elderly by visiting gathering places such as village halls, emphasizing that when burning is necessary, tap water and fire extinguishers should be kept nearby.

Chief Fire Officer Jun Nakdong said, “Rural areas are rapidly aging, so there is a high risk of casualties from fires. It is important to regularly check for fire hazards in one’s own home,” and added, “Our fire department will work hard to inform residents that ‘Evacuate first when there is a fire’ to prevent precious lives from being lost.”

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