Temperature Drops Below Freezing↓ Fire Caution in Traditional Markets During Heater Season

Increase in Winter Fire Incidents
"Markets Are Most Vulnerable to Winter Fires"

At around 3 p.m. on the 17th, Jungbu Market in Jung-gu, Seoul. Electric heaters were seen around every market stall. Although the electric heaters were glowing red, there were cases where no one was nearby. Most of the heaters here looked old and worn out. The heater next to merchant Kim (67) was also an old product that had been used for over 10 years.

Kim said, “The merchants here have all been running their businesses for at least 20 to 30 years. They need to replace the heaters, but they rarely do unless they break.” A representative from the merchants' association explained, “Many elderly merchants leave the heaters plugged in and just leave for the day, so the market is most vulnerable to fires in winter. Also, there are many storage rooms on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the market, where old electrical wires gather dust and pose a high risk of short circuits.”

Around 3 p.m. on the 17th at Jungbu Market in Jung-gu, Seoul. Electric heaters were turned on around a stall inside the market, but no merchants were in sight. Photo by Seong-A Shim

As temperatures drop below freezing, the risk of fires caused by the use of heating devices such as electric heaters in traditional markets, which are known to be fire-prone areas, is increasing, requiring caution.

According to the National Fire Information System of the Fire Agency on the 18th, the number of fires in traditional markets and markets was 45 cases from January to March last year, 22 cases from April to June, 26 cases from July to September, 33 cases from October to December, 40 cases from January to March this year, and 27 cases from April to June. It was found that fires occur more frequently during relatively cold periods.

In fact, on the 11th, a fire broke out at a traditional market in Jungang-dong, Wonju-si, Gangwon-do, completely destroying two stores and partially damaging one within the market. In January, a large fire occurred at a traditional market in Seocheon-gun, Chungnam, destroying about 220 stores across three buildings.

Merchants at Gyeongdong Market in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, also had electric heaters running beside them. Merchant Kim Young-joo (60) said, “The market is an open structure, so it gets very cold sitting all day, and I have to turn on a heater under my chair to endure it. In winter, the air is dry and all merchants use heaters, so I worry about fires.” A similar situation was seen at Yeongdeungpo Jungang Market in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Merchant Lee (65) said, “I always try to check if I unplugged the electric cord before going home, but sometimes I forget once in a while.”

Experts emphasize the importance of developing habits to prevent fires in daily life. Professor Gong Ha-seong from the Department of Fire and Disaster Prevention at Woosuk University pointed out, “Usually, in traditional markets, electricity is connected through temporary wiring such as multi-taps, but heating devices draw a lot of current, and since temporary wiring is exposed, the risk of fire increases.” Professor Gong added, “If temporary wiring must be used, it should be enclosed in a case, and multi-taps with overload protection functions are recommended. When leaving work, always unplug the multi-tap cords and keep fire extinguishers nearby.”