Frequent House Fires During Holidays
Negligence While Cooking Is the Leading Cause
Electrical Overheating Follows
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] During the Chuseok holiday, the use of fire-related tools increases due to food preparation, leading to frequent fire incidents. Especially this Chuseok, with more people expected to stay at home due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), special attention is needed to prevent residential fires.
According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the National Fire Agency on the 30th, a total of 499 residential fires occurred during the Chuseok holidays from 2015 to 2019, resulting in 4 deaths and 42 injuries.
By date, the day before Chuseok saw 12.5% (4 cases) more fires than the annual daily average (32 cases), and on Chuseok day itself, 15.6% (5 cases) more fires occurred.
The main cause of fires was carelessness such as leaving cooking unattended, accounting for 289 cases (57.9%), followed by electrical factors such as electrical overheating with 96 cases (12.2%).
Cooking oils and other substances used to prepare holiday foods can easily cause fires if overheated. If cooking oil overheats and catches fire, first turn off the gas valve or power supply. Spraying water at this time causes the oil vapor and steam to combine, intensifying the fire, and water can spread the burning oil, worsening the fire. While general powder fire extinguishers have a temporary effect, the high-temperature oil does not cool down and can easily reignite, so a kitchen-specific Class K fire extinguisher should be prepared and used.
Also, fires can easily occur while using kitchen electrical appliances such as microwaves, and if a fire breaks out inside these devices, the power should be turned off first. If the door is carelessly opened, flames and heat can suddenly escape, enlarging the fire and increasing the risk of burns, so caution is necessary.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
