High School Student Dies in Eunma Apartment Fire; Mystery Surrounds Malfunctioning Smoke Detector

It has been determined that the failure of a smoke detector to activate for unknown reasons caused the loss of the "golden time" for survival during the Eunma Apartment fire, which claimed the life of a high school student who dreamed of becoming a doctor.

According to a Yonhap News report on July 20, the Gangnam Fire Station stated in a recent 167-page investigation report on the incident that "the failure of the detector to operate was a major factor that led to the loss of the opportunity for initial suppression."

According to the investigation, the apartment unit where the fire broke out on the morning of February 26 was equipped with a fixed-temperature spot-type detector.

This device is designed to trigger an alarm when the temperature inside the unit rises to 70–75°C (158–167°F).

The detector was installed on the ceiling of the kitchen, which is presumed to be the point of origin of the fire.

As high-temperature flames were generated and spread throughout the unit, the detector located right in front of the fire failed to perform its role when it was needed most.

Kim (59), the father of the deceased student, Kim (17), left for work at 4:57 a.m. on the day of the accident.

There was a gap of approximately one hour and 20 minutes until about 6:18 a.m., when Kim first reported the fire.

The fire department believes the fire started during that interval and grew out of control, leading to a "flashover."

A flashover refers to a phenomenon where flammable gases accumulate in an enclosed space and ignite simultaneously, causing an explosion.

The investigation team analyzed that "at the time of the alarm at 6:18 a.m., the fire inside the unit had entered the growth stage before the flashover. Afterward, oxygen was introduced through the front door, causing the flames to spread rapidly."

Kim, who woke up from her sleep only then to discover the fire, was ultimately unable to escape.

Kim's wife, who had evacuated with their younger child, re-entered the scene to save her daughter and sustained severe burns to her head and shoulders.

Based on these evacuation circumstances, the investigation team concluded that if the detector had sounded before the fire progressed to a flashover state, there would have been a possibility for Kim to avoid the tragedy.

The on-site investigation revealed that the detector was found with its circuit insulation destroyed and the wire disconnected.

The device was designed in such a way that it would not operate if the circuit was disconnected.

The investigation team, which focused on the connection between the sudden ignition and interior renovations carried out for about a month earlier this year, also conducted a separate analysis of the detector malfunction that led to the casualties.

The team hypothesized three scenarios: the possibility that it was already inoperable before the construction, the possibility that the construction caused issues with the internal device and wiring connections, and the possibility that the detector wiring was burned first.

The construction plan included heating, plumbing, and wallpapering, but electrical work was omitted.

Regarding this, the head of the interior design firm explained during the investigation that they "seem to have forgotten to write it down."

Consequently, the apartment complex's fire safety manager was unaware of the lighting wiring work, and no electrical inspection was conducted by the management office for this unit even after the construction.

The manager stated during the investigation that "an electrical license is required depending on the method of connecting the lighting fixture and wiring when replacing lighting fixtures."

However, the investigation found that the workers did not possess such licenses.

The police have booked three individuals—two interior contractors and one electrical contractor who performed the work at the time—on charges including professional negligence resulting in death and injury, violation of the Electrical Construction Business Act, and violation of the Firefighting Facilities Construction Business Act, and are currently investigating the case.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.