Gwangju Fire Department Decides to Compensate for Forced Entry Door Repair Costs

11.15 Million Won to Be Paid to Households With Damaged Property

The Gwangju Fire Department has decided to directly support residents with the repair costs for front doors that were forcibly opened during fire suppression operations.

A fire broke out on January 11 at a villa in Buk-gu, Gwangju. Photo by Gwangju Northern Fire Station

According to the fire department on the 8th, a compensation review committee was held the previous day and it was decided to pay a total of 11,154,000 won to seven households, including six whose front doors and locks were damaged and one that suffered damage from firefighting water.

This compensation reflects complaints from residents who requested repairs for doors and locks damaged when firefighters forcibly opened front doors to extinguish a fire and search for people. In addition, a household that suffered ceiling water leakage due to firefighting water was also included in the compensation.

On January 11, a fire broke out on the second floor of a villa in Sinan-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju, filling the building with thick black smoke. At the time, firefighters requested evacuation from each household, but forcibly opened the front doors of six households that did not respond. There were no additional casualties, but a person in their 30s living in the second-floor unit where the fire started died.

Afterwards, residents demanded repairs for the damaged front doors and locks. Normally, the homeowner of the unit where the fire occurred could be compensated through fire insurance, but the resident had died and other households were not covered by fire insurance. Furthermore, damages caused by firefighting activities are not covered by administrative liability insurance unless there is a mistake or illegal act by the firefighters.

The fire department received notice from the administrative liability insurance company that compensation was not possible. Although a budget of 10 million won had been allocated to cover property damage caused during firefighting activities, the repair costs exceeded this amount, creating a significant burden.

A Gwangju Fire Department official stated, "After receiving complaints from residents that it was difficult to cover the repair costs, we reviewed several options and ultimately decided that the fire department would provide compensation. For the portion exceeding 10 million won, we plan to secure the budget through a supplementary allocation," he added.