Gyeonggi Province: 7 Out of 10 Fires in Narrow Spaces Between Commercial Buildings Caused by Cigarette Butts

[Suwon Ilbo = Reporter Park No-hun] Recent analysis shows that approximately 7 out of 10 fires occurring in narrow spaces between commercial buildings over the past 5 years were caused by cigarette butts.

According to the analysis of fire situations in narrow spaces between commercial buildings over the past 5 years, released on the 6th by the Gyeonggi Province Fire and Disaster Headquarters, a total of 114 fires occurred from 2016 to August this year in narrow spaces such as passages, outdoor unit installation areas, separate collection sites, and rest areas between commercial buildings. This amounts to an average of 23 fires per year.

During this period, 1 death and 1 injury occurred, with property damage totaling 2.47 billion won.

By cause of fire, carelessness accounted for the highest proportion at 82.5% (94 cases). This was followed by electrical factors (12 cases), unknown causes (5 cases), mechanical factors (2 cases), and suspected arson (1 case).

Among careless incidents, cigarette butts were overwhelmingly the leading cause at 88 cases. This accounts for 77.1% of all fires in narrow spaces between commercial buildings. By time of day, fires between noon and midnight occurred most frequently at 85 cases (74.6% of the total), with most incidents happening in the afternoon and nighttime hours when foot traffic in commercial areas is dense.

An official from the Gyeonggi Province Fire and Disaster Headquarters said, "We conducted an analysis of fire situations in narrow spaces, which are fire risk factors in commercial buildings, to use as basic data for commercial area fire prevention measures" and added, "Through thorough analysis of fire causes, we will do our best to prevent fires in densely populated areas such as commercial districts."

Meanwhile, Gyeonggi Province has a total of 259,950 commercial buildings. This accounts for 20.1% of the national total of 1,294,368 buildings. From 2016 to August this year, 904 fires broke out in commercial buildings in the province, resulting in 12 deaths, 78 injuries, and property damage of 7.2 billion won.