Taipei City Disaster Prevention and Rescue Information

       According to the statistic from April to June this year, the two leading fire causes remain cooking and electrical fires. For cooking fires, although grease accumulating within the range hood and pipe is not dominating factor, still creating great property loss. As for electric fan fires, cases are centralized in summer due to using habit. A total of 34 fires occurred in the past three years, resulting in four citizen injured.
        The grease accumulating in the range hood and pipe can be heated by hot air or flames during cooking, which leads to fire after ignition. The exhaust pipes for household are short and straight outside, causing less degree of loss; those for the commercial kitchen, in contrast, are longer and run through ceilings or floors, producing severe damage. The leading location of grease fires is BBQ restaurants, followed by deep-fried and stir-fries restaurants. Hence, dismantle the hood and pipe regularly to remove accumulated grease can greatly reduce the chance of fire incidents. It is suggest that simple fire extinguisher can be installed near the range hood to detect and prevent fire growth. Restaurant employers should also implement fire safety training sessions to ensure proper response including stay calm to evacuate customers and call 119 when facing emergencies.
        The main factors of malfunction fan can be divided into insufficient lubrications of motor bearing, failure of starting capacitor, damage of wire coating, and objects hindering blades operation. The Fire Department suggest the public that before using electric fans, spin the blade gently by hand as a simple test. If the blade rotates smoothly and stops slowly, it is normal; if it stops at once, it may indicate potential issues with the hinge. Furthermore, wipe out the dust on the wire surface while checking any damages. When using, avoid operating long duration to avoid motor overheat and keep distance from surrounding objects to prevent hindering blades operation. If smoke and burnt smell are found, unplug the fan immediately, and do not use it until it has been serviced by professional.
        Taipei City Fire Department reminds the public to take precautions to either grease accumulating fires or electric fan fires. Furthermore, establishing good using habits to reduce the chances of fire occurrence and making the living environment safer and better.