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Tragedy of fallen fire fighters

Posted March. 04, 2001 13:55,   

한국어

Sunday morning brought the tragic news that six firemen were killed and three seriously injured while battling a blaze in a residential area in western Seoul earlier that day. Probably thousands of fires break out in Seoul every year, but never has a house fire claimed the lives of so many of the brave people whose job it is to fearlessly battle the flames.

Nine firemen dashed into the two-story building to see if anybody was left inside, just as the flames on the ground floor began spreading upstairs. The blaze didn`t seem out of control, yet the ground floor was completely ablaze. The entire structure soon gave way at a time when the flames were close to being brought under control. All the fire fighters inside were either killed or sustained severe burns. Only in past fires at factories or large buildings have as many lives been lost. For such a tragedy to occur during a house fire was totally unexpected.

We owe our deepest thanks to the noble and professional fire fighters who risk their lives every day while carrying out their mission to protect the lives and safety of their fellow citizens. Profound admiration and gratitude is due to those fallen heroes who worked under poor conditions, including low pay, for the good of the people, and heartfelt condolences go out to their families.

However, the loss of their lives can hardly be brushed aside as an unavoidable misfortune that could just as easily have befallen any other member of the fire brigade. Saving the lives of citizens is the first priority of the fire fighter. But it is questionable if as many as nine officers needed to be sent into the inferno when the building in question was in danger of collapsing. The wisdom of the brigade commander`s decision deserves sober rethinking.

The accident also laid bare the inadequacies of existing conditions and measures for preventing and combating fires. The building where the tragedy occurred was a 30-year-old brick structure that was likely to have collapsed even without the fire. But nothing was done to prevent this almost certain catastrophe. Had the person in charge known of the dilapidated state of the building, he probably would not have ordered his men to venture inside.

Once again, conditions on the roads and alleyways in residential communities proved to be a major fire hazard. Rows of cars parked on both sides of the narrow passage leading to the scene of the fire-blocked access to the blaze, delaying the movement of fire fighters. The flames were thus allowed to grow and spread, greatly increasing the threat of catastrophe. The sacrifice made by those who died should come as a powerful reminder to us all that preventing fires is our collective responsibility as we strive to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again.