A fire broke out at a building in Gangnam District, Seoul, on the 12th, prompting people inside to evacuate. The fire appears to have started in an air conditioner outdoor unit, underscoring the need for more caution about summer cooling equipment fires.
According to the Gangnam Fire Station, a report came in at about 3:49 p.m. that day that "a fire is breaking out in an outdoor unit" at a building in Samseong-dong.
Responding to the report, fire authorities confirmed flames coming from the outdoor unit and fully extinguished the fire 45 minutes after the call was received.
There were no injuries, but 28 people inside the building evacuated when the fire broke out. Fire authorities are investigating the exact cause.
Fires related to cooling equipment occur intensively in July–August, when usage surges. There were 356 air conditioner fires last year, with 117 in July and 103 in August; summer incidents accounted for 61.8%.
Fire authorities have advised: ▲ use a dedicated outlet for air conditioners and avoid multi-tap "octopus" outlets ▲ keep the area around outdoor units clean ▲ unplug devices not in use.