
Experts suggest regular checks of circuit breakers, electric devices
With fire authorities suspecting an electrical fault -- abnormal conditions in an electric system -- as the primary cause of multiple fires on Monday, safety measures to prevent such incidents have come into focus.
The fires occurred at Sangjaeru Rest Area of Deogyusan in Muju, North Jeolla Province, a Buddhist temple in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, and a pig barn in Incheon on Monday. The fires were brought under control within hours without leaving any injuries or fatalities.
Amid the ongoing efforts to determine the exact cause of these fires, electric faults are suspected by the National Fire Agency.
“Though the cause of the recent fires is yet to be determined, the agency sees the possibility of arson at Deogyusan to be low. It suspects an electric fault. The investigation is underway for other cases, but the overheating of the electric heater is considered as the major cause for Incheon barn fire as well,” a fire agency official who declined to be named told The Korea Herald Tuesday.
According to Lee Young-ju, a professor in the Fire Safety Department at Kyungil University, fire cases notably increase in winter due to overcurrents in the electric heating systems and other heat-generating equipment with electricity.
“A larger-than-intended current is used in winter. This situation causes short circuits or overheating -- among other causes of electric faults -- which can start unexpected fires,” said Lee.
“The number of electronic devices used by people drastically increases in winter and summer for heating and cooling purposes, respectively. More frequent, longer usage of such devices naturally increases the possibility of fires being caused by electricity as well,” Lee explained.
Kong Ha-sung, professor of fire and disaster prevention at Woosuk University, pointed out regular quality maintenance of circuit breakers can be an effective measure to prevent fires.
“The circuit breaker stops overcurrent problems. Checking the circuit breaker once a month can make a great difference. People also need to be cautious about leaving electric devices powered on when away for a long time,” Kong said.