Seoul Mapo-gu Apartment Fire, Suspected Electric Scooter Battery Explosion

At the scene of the fire that occurred in an apartment in Changjeon-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, a battery pack presumed to be for an electric scooter was discovered.

On the 18th, the fire authorities stated regarding the discovered battery, "It is presumed to be a lithium-ion secondary battery," and added, "We comprehensively reviewed the combustion pattern, damage range, and ignition point."

According to the fire department, the first report of "black smoke" was received at 8:11 AM on the 17th, and the fire was completely extinguished around 10:42 AM, approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes later.

As a result of the fire, two people, a woman in her 60s and her son in his 20s, who resided on the 14th floor where the fire started, lost their lives, and 13 others, including a 60-year-old father identified as Mr. A, were injured. Additionally, 89 residents were evacuated.

Investigation into the Cause of the Fire and Battery Explosion

Mr. A, found on the 18th floor, was reported to have sustained burns on his back and is said to have stated that his son had been charging the electric scooter battery in his room regularly.

A resident living near the fire scene, Mr. Yoo (67), recounted, "I heard a pop and then a loud bang, and when I looked, the fire was already blazing." He thought it was caused by butane gas or city gas exploding.

Though it is presumed that the fire broke out due to an explosion of the electric scooter battery being charged in the son's room, fire officials maintained a cautious stance, stating that they could not definitively conclude the cause of the fire.

One official explained, "We need to gather potential causes as evidence and submit them for analysis. Comprehensive proof is required."

Fire officials, police, and electrical safety officials, involving 15 personnel, conducted a joint investigation for about four hours starting from the morning of the 18th.

The apartment where the fire occurred consists of 4 rooms, a living room, and a kitchen, and the problematic battery pack was found in a specific room, according to fire officials.

The specific cause of the fire is expected to be determined through analysis by the examination agency.

Expansion of Damage Due to Lack of Sprinklers

One factor contributing to the significant damage from this fire is the absence of a sprinkler system on the 14th floor, where the fire broke out.

According to the enforcement ordinance of the Fire Services Act, regulations requiring the installation of sprinkler systems on floors above the 16th floor were introduced starting from July 28, 1992.

Since January 2005, it has become mandatory to install sprinklers on all floors of buildings above the 11th floor, and as of January 27, 2018, this requirement was expanded to all floors of buildings above the 6th floor. However, the apartment where the fire occurred was completed in 1998, before the legal amendments, and thus was not subject to the retroactive sprinkler installation regulations for buildings above 11 floors.

This incident serves as a reminder of the need for safe management of lithium batteries and the strengthening of fire safety facilities in aging buildings.

Image source: News1