Dongyoung Lee, Chief of Gwangju Bukbu Fire Station, Provides On-Site Safety Consulting at Traditional Temples

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] The Northern Fire Station of Gwangju Metropolitan City announced on the 1st that it conducted on-site safety consulting by visiting Daewonjeongsa Temple located in Bonchon-dong, Buk-gu on the 29th of last month.

Over the past five years, 220 temple fires have occurred nationwide, injuring six people. The number of fires in May, which includes Buddha's Birthday, increased by approximately 21.7% compared to April.

This consulting was promoted to preemptively eliminate risk factors and check the status of fire safety management, as well as to establish a rapid response system, due to the increased fire risk from the installation of lanterns and the increased use of flames such as candles, electricity, and gas before and after the Buddha's Birthday celebration events.

The main contents include ▲elimination of unauthorized burning and fire vulnerability factors around the temple ▲instructions on how to respond in emergencies ▲guidance on safety rules and precautions when handling electricity, gas, and flames ▲safety education for related personnel and emphasis on the importance of initial fire extinguishing, and requests for fire prevention.

Chief Lee Dong-young said, “As events that were held on a small scale due to COVID-19 return to normal, it is expected that more people will visit temples, which may increase the risk of fire. We ask related personnel for active fire prevention safety management and thorough initial response.”