Winter Fire Risks

[Anchor Lead]

As freezing temperatures continue, dry weather advisories have also been issued and fires are breaking out in poorer areas. Clusters of cell-like residential units are particularly vulnerable to all sorts of safety accidents including fires.

[Pkg]

The recent deadly fire at a motel in downtown Seoul which claimed six lives including a mother and her two daughters was an act of arson committed by a man in his 50s. The motel was situated in a clustered area of old buildings. Another fire broke out just two days later at a nearby cluster of tiny single-cell residential units. There were no casualties but the fire truck had a hard time taming the flames due to limited access to the site. Residents in these areas are nervous about the continued fires.

[Soundbite] (Local Resident(Voice modified)) : "The insurers don't even insure this area for fire coverage. They won't care if people die off here."

In this community of small slice rooms, the alleyways barely have space for two people to walk through. Worn-out electric wires are entangled like spider webs around the windows of homes. The coating has peeled off from some of the cords.

[Soundbite] Jo Gi-yeong(Korea Electrical Safety Corp.) : "These two parts causing a short-circuit can lead to a fire, so I'm working on taping them up."

There are no outdoor fire hydrants. Only fire extinguishers are in sight. But even they are not kept in places that are easy to access, making them of little use during emergencies. Among the five single-cell room communities in capital Seoul, nearly 40% are without fire alarm systems. Fifteen percent of the areas don't even have extinguishers. Seoul City will invest 1.1 billion won this year to strengthen fire safety facilities in vulnerable areas but critics say that's not enough and fundamental solutions are necessary.