Evacuation During Small-Scale Fire
Multiple Casualties Due to Smoke Inhalation
In the past five years, 7 out of 10 deaths caused by apartment fires were due to 'smoke inhalation.' Even in fires limited to the ignition point, many casualties occur during evacuation, requiring special caution.
On the 16th, the National Fire Agency announced the results of an analysis of the frequency of apartment fires by season and time of day, as well as the causes of fires, based on apartment fire statistics from the past five years. According to the statistics, a total of 14,112 apartment fires occurred over the past five years, with last year (2,993 cases) having the highest number during this period.
During the same period, there were 1,607 injuries and 174 deaths caused by apartment fires. Among these, 42 deaths occurred during evacuation, the highest among types, and 124 deaths were analyzed as the leading cause of death due to smoke inhalation.
The National Fire Agency stated that 90.1% (12,718 cases) of apartment fires were confined to the ignition point. This means that 9 out of 10 apartment fires in the past five years were limited to specific spaces such as kitchens or bedrooms, without flames spreading to the entire unit or other floors.
However, even in these relatively small-scale fires, there were 143 casualties occurring during evacuation from other floors, most of which (88.9%) were due to smoke inhalation, the National Fire Agency explained. The number of casualties from fires confined to the ignition point reached 890 over the past five years, accounting for half of all casualties.
Accordingly, the National Fire Agency declared a paradigm shift in fire safety behavior guidelines to reduce casualties from apartment fires, promoting the motto "Check before evacuating when there is a fire." They also provide public apartment fire action guidelines and evacuation safety manuals on their website.
Choi Hong-yeong, head of the Fire Response Investigation Division at the National Fire Agency, urged, "In apartment fires, a high proportion of casualties are due to smoke, and even in small-scale fires, many casualties occur when residents on other floors evacuate. If the floor and scale of the fire are unknown, rather than evacuating unconditionally, one should first assess the fire situation and then decide whether to evacuate."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
