Fires occur frequently in yakiniku restaurants. Fire Department reveals five main causes and safety rules

According to statistics from the Fire Department and local fire bureaus, the top five causes of fires in barbecue restaurants and other restaurants in the past 10 years are, in order, accumulation of grease in air ducts and exhaust pipes, improper cooking by customers or excessive grease stains, careless handling of charcoal or charcoal fires (non-cooking areas), failure of stoves (gas, electrical equipment), and lack of fire prevention zoning in decoration materials and designs.

The Fire Department and the New Taipei City Fire Department said that for places with high risk of multiple fires, in addition to biannual fire safety inspections and maintenance declarations, they will also conduct irregular special inspections to maintain public security in a multi-pronged manner. The Fire Department also called on barbecue restaurants and other unspecified places with complex environments that are unfamiliar to the public. To maintain a hygienic environment, when entering and exiting public places, you should pay attention to the four major safety regulations of places such as those with sign indicating refusal to enter the store or unqualified places announced on the Internet. Observe that the restaurant has two escape exits in different directions, whether the escape passage is clear, and whether the exit fire safety equipment functions normally and is bright.

According to statistics from the Fire Department, in the past 10 years, the biggest cause of fires and disasters in barbecue and restaurant fires in Taiwan is the accumulation of grease in the exhaust pipes and air ducts. Especially when the barbecue restaurant operates at high frequency for a long time, the meat grease is sucked into the wall of the exhaust pipe with the hot air and condenses into thick grease. When there is a big fire in the grill below, the flame is too high, or the sparks are strongly sucked into the exhaust pipe, it may cause a chimney effect and instantly ignite the grease in the pipe.

The second most common cause is improper cooking practices and excessive oil stains; customers place too many high-fat ingredients at one time when grilling meat, and a large amount of oil drips into the charcoal fire or gas burner below, instantly causing a fire. When customers are panicked or inexperienced, they misuse water to try to extinguish the fire, causing the oil to splash and explode, and the flames to expand instantly; or they push over high-temperature stoves in a panic, igniting surrounding flammable materials.

The third cause is improper handling of charcoal and charcoal fires. When operators use high-temperature charcoal preparation stoves in kitchens and charcoal preparation areas, flammable debris is piled around them, or employees accidentally drop red-hot charcoal fires and ignite them. Or, after closing, the charcoal ash and charcoal waste that have not been completely extinguished may cause small flames, causing smoldering and igniting the fire.

The fourth problem is the failure or poor maintenance of stoves and gas power equipment. Due to leaks in gas equipment and pipelines, or overloading of electrical appliances and high-power heating equipment, the lines are easily coated with oil and the insulation is aged, causing wire short circuits (dirt conductivity).

The last item is the lack of fire-proof separation between decoration materials and space design; some barbecue restaurants use a large amount of wooden decoration, sound-absorbing cotton or plastic decoration to create an atmosphere. When the initial fire in the grill is not controlled, the fire may spread quickly along the flammable materials.

Officials from the Fire Department said that the key to preventing fires in restaurants such as BBQ restaurants is to regularly remove and clean the oil fume ducts and air ducts, including equipping tables with protective equipment (such as fire extinguishers and fire blankets), standardizing staff's charcoal preparation and ash cleaning processes, and regular inspections of gas and power lines. All these can prevent the occurrence of BBQ fires and ensure the safety of employees and customers.