Increase in 'Electric Fire' Incidents in Northern Gyeonggi... Residential Facilities Most Affected

Electric Fires Increased from 27.7% to 31.8% Over the Past 3 Years
86 Casualties and Property Damage of 84.7 Billion Won

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] Electrical fires occurring in the northern region of Gyeonggi Province have been gradually increasing over the past three years.

[Photo by Gyeonggi-do Northern Fire and Disaster Headquarters]

According to statistics from the Northern Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters on the 2nd, an analysis of the causes of fires in northern Gyeonggi over the past three years showed that 'carelessness' accounted for 42.5% of all fires, making it the most common cause, followed by electrical fires at 30.1%.

However, careless fires showed a decreasing trend: ▲2020 45.6% (1,184 cases) → 2021 39.8% (945 cases) ▲2022 41.9% (1,040 cases), while electrical fires showed an increasing trend: ▲2020 27.7% (720 cases) ▲2021 31% (735 cases) ▲2022 31.8% (791 cases).

During this period, electrical fires in northern Gyeonggi caused approximately 84.7 billion KRW in property damage and 86 casualties, averaging one casualty per 26 electrical fire cases. Among the 791 electrical fires that occurred last year, residential facilities accounted for the highest number with 210 cases (26.5%). This was followed by industrial facilities with 182 cases (23%) and automobiles with 88 cases (11.1%).

Within residential facilities, the breakdown was 94 cases in apartments and other multi-family housing, 91 cases in single-family homes, and 25 cases in residential vinyl greenhouses. For industrial facilities, the order was 86 cases in factories, 53 cases in warehouses, and 33 cases in animal and plant facilities.

By period, electrical fires were concentrated in January, August, and December. Most of these fires were caused by the octopus-style use of multi-tap power strips with electric blankets, electric heaters, air conditioners, and other cooling and heating devices in residential facilities, as well as electrical fires caused by moisture infiltration into electrical facilities such as distribution boards.

Meanwhile, the Northern Fire and Disaster Headquarters has established a 'Cooperative Communication Network for Electrical Fire Reduction' with the Northern Gyeonggi branch of Korea Electrical Safety Corporation and has been inspecting the overall condition of electrical equipment management for vulnerable targets to electrical fires since October last year.

Head of Headquarters Go Deok-geun emphasized, "Electricity can become the most terrifying disaster if used improperly, so it is more important than anything else for residents to follow electrical safety rules."