Gwangju Bukbu Fire Station Urges Caution in Using Cooling Devices During Summer

Gwangju Bukbu Fire Station announced on the 30th that it is urging special caution to prevent fires caused by careless use of air conditioners and other cooling devices during the summer season.

According to Bukbu Fire Station, a total of 302 fires occurred in Buk-gu during the summer season over the past five years. Monthly breakdown shows that 30.7% of fires occurred in June, 34.4% in July, and 34.7% in August, indicating an increase in fire incidents each month.

Fortunately, there were no casualties, but property damage averaged 440 million KRW annually, with fires caused by negligence accounting for the highest proportion at 41.7%.

In response, Bukbu Fire Station emphasized that the risk of fires caused by the use of cooling devices such as air conditioners is high during summer, and with recent daytime high temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius and the early onset of heat waves, the period of cooling device usage has advanced. Therefore, they urged users to conduct pre-use inspections of cooling devices and to strictly follow safety rules during use.

Regarding air conditioners, before use, users should ▲ check for the use of single wires and any wire damage ▲ avoid placing flammable items around the outdoor unit ▲ remove dust or foreign substances inside the air conditioner and check for any abnormalities before operation ▲ and request expert inspection if excessive noise or other issues occur from the outdoor unit. These thorough inspections are necessary before use, explained a Bukbu Fire Station official.

A fire official stated, "To prevent fires, please be sure to conduct inspections before use and follow safety rules during use so that everyone can spend this summer safely and comfortably."