"Dry Spring Season, Many Outdoor Fires" Jeonbuk Fire Department Urges Caution

The Jeonbuk Fire Headquarters (Chief Jun Nak-dong) has issued a special warning regarding fires caused by negligence, such as garbage incineration.

According to Jeonbuk Fire on the 21st, a total of 6,004 fires occurred during the spring season (March to May) over the past 10 years (2013?2022) in the province.

This is more than 45% higher compared to winter with 5,284 cases, autumn with 4,299 cases, and summer with 4,114 cases. In particular, last year saw an increase of 158 cases (29.2%) compared to the previous year due to the influence of a hot and dry climate in spring.

By location of occurrence during spring, outdoor fires (such as garbage) were the most frequent with 1,401 cases (23.3%), followed by residential facilities with 1,366 cases (22.8%), industrial facilities with 877 cases (14.6%), automobiles with 697 cases (11.6%), and forest areas with 518 cases (8.6%).

By cause of fire, negligence accounted for the largest number with 3,580 cases (59.6%), followed by electrical causes with 994 cases (16.6%), mechanical causes with 538 cases (9.0%), and unknown causes with 525 cases (8.7%). Among the detailed factors of negligence, garbage incineration accounted for 940 cases (26.3%), cigarette butts 698 cases (19.5%), and unattended fire sources 544 cases (15.2%).

In particular, it was confirmed that outdoor and forest fires occur most frequently in spring among the four seasons.

Among 3,817 outdoor fires over the past 10 years, 1,401 cases (36.7%) occurred in spring, and among 950 forest fires, 518 cases (54.5%) occurred in spring. The causes of fire for outdoor fires were mostly negligence such as garbage incineration at 84.6%, and for forest fires, burning of fields and forests accounted for 92.5%, making negligent fires the majority.

Chief Jun Nak-dong of the Fire Headquarters said, “Due to dry weather and strong winds in spring, minor negligence can lead to major disasters,” and added, “We ask the residents to strictly follow safety rules in daily life and be especially cautious.”