Frying residue linked to frequent fires at fried food restaurants

[Anchor]

Fires often occur in establishments that prepare fried foods like chicken, and the causes are sometimes unknown.

Recent experimental results suggest that accumulated frying residue could be a cause of these fires.

Reporter Park Yeon-seon has the details.

[Report]

Smoke is billowing from a chicken restaurant that has closed for the day.

The fire caused nearly 40 million won in property damage, burning everything inside.

A similar incident occurred at a pork cutlet restaurant in the early hours after closing.

[Pork Cutlet Restaurant Owner: "Was it after 4 AM? The security company called to say there was a fire... I saw the CCTV and it was all smoky, and the fire trucks were there, so I was really surprised. I was extremely shocked."]

In Daejeon alone, there have been 13 similar fires in the past three years, but the exact cause remains undetermined, with only natural combustion being suspected.

The common factor is that the fires started near frying residue.

In response, police and fire authorities conducted their own experiments.

Within an hour of starting the experiment, smoke began to rise from the frying residue.

The embers ignited a plastic container, quickly turning into intense flames.

The oil components in the frying residue reacted with oxygen, causing an oxidation reaction, and the internal temperature soared to nearly 500 degrees, resulting in the fire.

Fire authorities emphasize the importance of preventing air exposure.

[Yoon Hong-beom/Fire Investigation Team, Daedeok Fire Station: "Because it undergoes an oxidation reaction, if you just block it from the air, it won't generate heat. Just covering it with a lid..."]

They also advised that frying residue generated during cooking should be cooled with a fan before disposal, and that heat-resistant stainless steel containers should be used instead of plastic ones.

This is KBS News, Park Yeon-seon.