Taipei City Fire Department

As the Chinese New Year is coming soon, though public activities are getting less due to COVID-19, families are busy cooking dishes, buying goods, and cleaning houses for the New Year. According to Taipei City Fire Department, there were 96 fires during Spring Festival from 2019 to 2020 which, fortunately, resulted in no casualties. The dominating cause of fire was Cooking (51.0%), followed by Electricity (19.8%). Further analysis shows that the majority of home cooking fires are caused by over-cooking (91.8%), followed by failure to clean oily cooking equipment (4.1%), followed by combustibles being placed too close to heating source, and heating the frying oil for too long (2% each). Over two-third of cooking fires caused by equipment left unattended.
 
The Taipei City Fire Department encourages people to eliminate risk factors within their house during New Year cleaning. In residential homes or food services, one should regularly disassemble their kitchen hood and ventilation ducts to clear the grease accumulated in the interior. When cooking, the accumulation of grease met with hot air and the heat of the flame could lead to a fire.
 
Moreover, to prevent electrical fires, one should check the electronics within one’s home (especially dehumidifiers) for their brands and models. Make sure they’re not models that have been recalled by the Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection. Inspect if the product’s exterior and wires are intact. Wipe and clean the blades and filters of fans, air conditioners, and dehumidifiers. When buying a new product, check for commodity inspection marks and product safety marks, and inspect the company name and address, the electronics specification and model, and if the proper logos are clear.
 
Lastly, one should keep their living environment tidy. Clear the building surrounding of sundries. Recycle scrapped vehicles as soon as possible. Make sure doors and windows have the proper security devices installed to reduce the possibility of arson. Regularly clean the interior and exterior of one’s home and develop good habits when using fires and electronics to have a peaceful and safe year.