[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] This year, fire accidents involving distribution and branch panels in Gyeonggi Province have significantly increased.
According to the Gyeonggi Provincial Fire and Disaster Headquarters on the 20th, from January to August 10th this year, a total of 154 fire incidents related to electrical equipment such as distribution panels, branch panels, and power meters were recorded. As a result, 6 people were injured, and property damage worth 4.2 billion KRW occurred.
In particular, during the first ten days of this month alone, a total of 37 fires occurred, far exceeding the 18 incidents recorded in the entire month of August last year.
The main causes of the fires were short circuits caused by water intrusion during rainy weather, followed by tracking fires where the insulation surface covering the wires was contaminated or damaged by dust or moisture, causing heat and light as current flowed.
Fires mostly occurred in houses, factories, and warehouses that regularly use a large amount of electrical energy.
A Gyeonggi Fire Headquarters official urged, "To prevent fires, special attention must be paid to prevent moisture or dust from penetrating equipment such as distribution and branch panels," adding, "It is important to conduct regular electrical equipment inspections through specialized institutions and to install verified automatic fire extinguishing devices inside distribution and branch panels."
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