Seoul City, "Most Fires Occur in Spring... Firefighting Measures to Be Implemented"

Fire and Disaster Headquarters' "Spring Fire Safety Measures"

The Seoul Metropolitan Fire & Disaster Headquarters announced on the 17th that it will implement the "Spring Fire Safety Measures," reflecting the seasonal characteristics of high fire risk due to large temperature differences, low humidity, and strong winds.

According to officials from the Fire & Disaster Headquarters, there were 15,435 fires over the past three years from 2020 to last year. By season, spring recorded the highest number with 4,051 cases (26.2%), followed by winter with 4,048 cases (26.2%), summer with 3,781 cases (24.5%), and autumn with 3,555 cases (23.0%).

By cause of fire in spring, fires due to carelessness were the most frequent with 2,491 cases (61.5%). Among careless causes, cigarette butts (1,213 cases, 48.7%) and cooking-related fires (586 cases, 23.5%) were the most common.

Forest fires, including wildfires, totaled 80 cases, with spring accounting for 46 cases (57.5%), showing more than a 100% increase compared to the previous year.

Based on these statistics, the city’s Fire & Disaster Headquarters announced the "Spring Fire Safety Measures" to prevent large-scale fires in advance and minimize casualties.

The main initiatives include ▲ safety management of fire-vulnerable residential facilities ▲ proactive safety measures for facilities vulnerable to large fires ▲ fire prevention measures for facilities housing fire evacuation vulnerable groups ▲ customized prevention measures for festivals and special events ▲ forest fire prevention measures in preparation for Hansik and Arbor Day.

Hwang Gi-seok, head of the Seoul Fire & Disaster Headquarters, stated, "This spring, when large-scale disasters such as consecutive wildfires and tire factory fires are more frequent than usual, we ask citizens for more careful attention and interest in fire prevention," adding, "Seoul Fire will also thoroughly implement fire safety measures to ensure no gaps in citizen safety."