Winter fires in Jeonbuk surge from 475 to 574 cases... caution urged

【Financial News, Jeonju = Kang In, Reporter】 Last winter, fires in Jeonbuk increased by 20.8%, prompting calls for caution.
According to the Jeonbuk Fire Headquarters of Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province on the 12th, 574 fires occurred from December 2025 through February this year, up 20.8% from 475 during the same period a year earlier.
Carelessness was by far the biggest factor behind the increase in fires. During the same period, fires caused by carelessness rose 28.5%, from 221 to 284. That accounted for 64% (63 cases) of the overall increase of 99 fires.
A closer look at fires caused by carelessness shows that cases involving unattended embers, flames or other sources of fire rose 47.6%, from 42 to 62. Fires caused by cigarette butts increased from 40 to 56 (40%), while those caused by burning trash rose from 40 to 53 (32.5%).
The number of people affected by fires also increased. Last winter, fires killed four people and injured 28, for a total of 32 casualties. That was a 39.1% increase from 23 during the same period a year earlier. However, the number of deaths fell from six to four.
Jin Hyeong-min, chief of the Jeonbuk Fire Headquarters, urged people to “be thorough in managing embers and following safety rules for heating appliances, as many winter fires start with small acts of carelessness.”


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