Jeonnam Fire Department Urges Caution Against Summer Vehicle and Air Conditioner Fires

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Jeonnam Fire Department has urged special caution regarding fires in automobiles and cooling devices as the summer season begins in earnest.

According to the Jeonnam Fire Headquarters (Chief Ma Jaeyoon) on the 7th, during the summer heatwave periods from 2017 to 2019, there were 455 fires in the province, resulting in 11 casualties (1 death and 10 injuries). Property damage amounted to 6.91 billion KRW.

By cause of fire, ▲carelessness such as food cooking accounted for 51% (232 cases), ▲electrical causes such as short circuits 22.9% (104 cases), and ▲mechanical causes such as overheating 11.6% (53 cases).

By location, ▲outdoor fires accounted for 23.1% (105 cases), ▲residential 17.4% (79 cases), ▲industrial facilities 13% (59 cases), ▲forests 12.7% (58 cases), and ▲automobiles 12.1% (55 cases), in that order.

In particular, among the total 8,243 fires over three years, electrical fires accounted for 19.7%, automobile fires 6%, and cooling device fires 0.9%. When limited to the heatwave period, electrical fires were 22.9%, automobile fires 7.7%, and cooling device fires 3.1%, showing increases of 3.2%, 1.7%, and 2.2%, respectively.

This is analyzed to be due to the increased possibility of overheating and overload caused by increased use of cooling devices during heatwaves, and exposure of utility pole wiring panels or aged wires to heatwaves weakening insulation performance, causing short circuits and increasing fire occurrence frequency.

Also, when external temperatures rise due to heatwaves, the engine room of automobiles can soar up to 300℃, increasing the possibility of fire caused by engine overheating.

Accordingly, Jeonnam Fire Department urged regular inspections and adherence to safety rules such as removing dust and checking for wire damage before using cooling devices, using timers to prevent overheating, and checking coolant and oil before driving automobiles to prevent cooling device fires.

Chief Ma Jaeyoon said, “With the upcoming heatwave period, the rapid increase in cooling device use raises the possibility of fire occurrence,” and added, “We must strive to prevent fires by following safety rules and have a safe summer.”