"'Boom' as Ethanol Is Poured During 'Bulmeong'..." Flames Shoot Up at Busan's Haeundae Villa, Injuring Two

Accident During Family Gathering; Son-in-Law and Mother-in-Law Suffer Second-Degree Burns
"Dangerous to Add Fuel While It's Hot"

Two people were injured when flames suddenly flared up from an ethanol fireplace while a family was enjoying what is known as “Bulmeong” at a villa in Haeundae, Busan.

An ethanol fireplace that caught fire at a villa in Jung-dong, Haeundae-gu, Busan, on the 31st of last month. Two family members suffered second-degree burns when flames suddenly surged while they were enjoying Bulmeong. Provided by the Busan Fire and Disaster Headquarters.

According to the Busan Fire and Disaster Headquarters and other sources, a fire broke out at around 9:15 p.m. on October 31 on the sixth floor of a seven-story villa on Dalmaji-gil in Jung-dong, Haeundae-gu, Busan.

The family was reportedly enjoying Bulmeong indoors using an ethanol fireplace. During this time, A, a son-in-law in his 40s, was adding ethanol fuel to the fireplace when flames suddenly shot up as if in an explosion.

A suffered second-degree burns to his face and hands, while B, his mother-in-law in her 50s, also suffered second-degree burns to her back and other areas. Both were classified as seriously injured and taken to a hospital.

A liquid fuel container found at the fire scene. Fire authorities believe the fire started while fuel was being added to the fireplace. Photo courtesy of the Busan Fire and Disaster Headquarters.

Another son-in-law who was there put out the fire himself using water, and it was completely extinguished at around 9:25 p.m., about 10 minutes after it started. About 10 residents in the villa evacuated during the fire.

The fire authorities dispatched 55 personnel, including 45 firefighters and 10 police officers, as well as 14 pieces of equipment to the scene. The flames did not spread significantly to other areas, but parts of a sofa and curtains burned, causing an estimated 102,000 won in property damage, according to the fire station.

Fire authorities believe the fire was caused by carelessness while handling flammable fuel such as ethanol and are investigating the exact circumstances of the incident. An ethanol fireplace is an indoor device that burns liquid fuel instead of firewood or gas to create flames for viewing.

A fire official urged caution, saying, “If you add fuel while flames are still present or the fireplace is hot, ethanol vapor can ignite, causing the fire to spread rapidly.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.