The National Fire Agency said it issued a nationwide fire risk alert at the "caution" level starting at 2 p.m. on the 28th. The fire risk alert levels are advisory → caution → critical.
As more areas come under heat advisories, the number of fires is also surging. In the nine days just before the advisory took effect (July 1–9), the daily average number of fires was 84, but after the advisory took effect (July 10–27), it rose 14.4% to a daily average of 96.1.
According to the National Fire Agency, fires caused by electrical factors account for an average of 35% of summer fires. This is because the use of air conditioners increases during heat waves and outdated electrical facilities are overloaded.
Choi Yong-cheol, acting commissioner of the National Fire Agency, said, "In the ongoing heat wave, the combination of excessive use of cooling devices and outdated electrical facilities is rapidly increasing the risk of electrical fires," and noted, "Overloading power strips and using octopus-style wiring must be avoided, and it is crucial to make a habit of unplugging electronic devices that are not in use."
The National Fire Agency also activated the Heat Wave 119 Safety Countermeasures Headquarters along with issuing the fire risk alert at the "caution" level. It plans to carry out fire prevention activities in parallel with preemptive emergency medical response to potential heat-related illnesses.