Earticle

As high-density energy storage is possible due to the development of lithium-ion batteries, it is possible to develop electric vehicles that use electric motors as a power source in internal combustion engine cars, adding environmental pollution problems such as burden and global warming, and the production of electric vehicles is rapidly increasing, and many countries are implementing policies to completely change from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles within a few years. With increasing the number of registered electric vehichles, the number of fires in electric vehicles is also increasing proportionally. It is not just a problem of increasing the number of fires, but when a fire occurs, a thermal runaway of lithium-ion batteries occurs, and it is very difficult to extinguish the fire of the lithium-ion battery that is burning because the off-gas eruption and the battery is sealed inside the pack. In order to solve this problem, we will observe the cause of ignition of lithium-ion batteries, and study how to extinguish the fire accordingly and how to find the cell that became the ignition source among several cells in the event of a fire.

Secondary cell batteries are considered environmentally friendly and energy efficient, be widely used in private, home and industrial fields. However, when lithium is exposed to air, it is dangerous to cause an explosion due to the rapid oxidation of hydrogen. There is still a lack of risk awareness and scientific investigation into Secondary cell batteries. The purpose of this study is to identify and inform fire hazard points through fire cases and fire investigations. Research data for preventing recurrence of fire accidents on secondary cell batteries and use it for fire detection technology.

The purpose of this study was to find a mental health promotion plan for firefighters through trauma-based care (TIC) of firefighters. Fire officials experience repetitive trauma due to the nature of their due to the nature of their work and have a higher prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder than the general public. These traumas cause various mental health problems for firefighters and negatively affect their daily lives. This study presented six principles for identifying the trauma and neurophysiological characteristics and support resources of firefighters, and suggested ways to apply TIC guidelines suitable for firefighting organizations. Through these TICs, firefighters recognized the impact of trauma experiences on their lives and responded appropriately to prevent overseas trauma and promote healing, and to this end, the firefighting organization emphasized the need to create a safe and comfortable environment for firefighters. Finally, it was suggested that TICs be systematically introduced at the fire organization level to promote the mental and physical health of firefighters and introduced them at the fire organization level.

Individual switch-type power strips are among the most commonly used electrical devices in everyday life. As the number of electrical appliances increases, they have become essential. However, the number of related fires has also been rising, prompting case studies and reproduction experiments to determine the cause. The results showed that some fires occurred due to poor design of certain individual switches and due to users’ incorrect assumptions that led to misuse. Therefore, this study aims to identify the design problems and prevent user cognitive errors.

This study seeks to expand the area of fire safety services to the public by establishing a firefighting colleague psychological support system for firefighters and a disaster psychological support system for the public. we examined the National Fire Agency's mental health support policy and the status of PTSD(posttraumatic stress disorder) management among domestic and foreign firefighters. In addition, as a result of analyzing the effectiveness of the firefighting colleague counseling and the operation cases of the Central Firefighting Psychological Support Group, it was confirmed that it has a positive effect on the mental health management of firefighters. In order for the Central Fire Protection Psychological Support Group to develop into a focal point for not only the mental health of firefighters but also the mental health of disaster victims, it is necessary to establish a legal basis and to reorganize the systematic organization and budget. Additionally, programs to foster internal experts are desperately needed. The results of this study are intended to contribute to boosting firefighting morale and expanding the scope of firefighting activities by discovering disaster psychological support policies for firefighters.

Electric vehicle(EV) fires exhibit characteristics distinct from those of internal combustion engine vehicle(ICEV) fires. In particular, lithium-ion batteries, which are a key component of EVs, have high energy density and can cause rapid temperature rise and fire spread due to a phenomenon known as thermal runaway. This explosive combustion can severely damage the entire vehicle, making it difficult to determine the exact cause of the fire. As a result, there is a growing need for research on EV fire cause analysis and forensic investigation methods. In this study, a fire reproduction experiment was conducted using an actual EV to analyze the characteristics and progression of EV fires and to propose an effective EV fire investigation method. To achieve this, thermal runaway was induced by applying forced ignition conditions to a lithium-ion battery, and the temperatures of the battery pack and the vehicle’s interior and exterior were measured, compared, and analyzed. Additionally, after combustion, the vehicle interior was examined, and the findings were compared with the temperature measurements to identify the primary causes of the EV fire and determine the ignition point based on physical burn patterns. The findings of this study are expected to enhance the accuracy of EV fire investigations conducted by fire investigators and contribute to the development of EV fire prevention and response strategies.

In this study, NCM cathode materials were mainly analyzed to confirm the fire risk of LIB. NCM cathode materials have poor surface stability and poor structural stability at high temperatures, so gas is generated and the cell swells, causing swelling. To confirm this phenomenon, a pouch full cell was manufactured and electrochemical output characteristics were tested, and it was confirmed that the cell surface temperature risen to 60°C. As a result of ICP-MS analysis, it was confirmed that the higher the ratio of Ni in the NCM cathode and the higher the temperature environment, the higher the solubility of Ni. In fact, the pouch full cell was stored in a high-temperature oven for a total of 4 weeks, and the swelling behavior was measured at intervals of 1 week, and the amount of gas generation was quantitatively measured through the internal pressure cell. As a result, the higher the Ni ratio, the more gas generated. In order to determine the correlation between these gas emissions and fire, harsh conditions were applied via a DC power supply. As a result, it was confirmed that the higher the ratio of Ni and the greater the number of charging and discharging, the more the cell swelled, the faster it exploded, and the higher the temperature at the time of explosion.

As society becomes increasingly sophisticated and new energy sources proliferate, human and property damage due to fire is on the rise, emphasizing the importance of fire investigation results alongside changes in the legal environment (e.g., amendments to the Product Liability Act and the Act on Liability for Fires). This study analyzes a major fire incident at the E-Land Fashion Logistics Center in Cheonan, Chungnam, in November 2025, focusing on electrical factors at the presumed ignition point—the eastern end of the 3rd floor. To enhance the professionalism of the cause determination process, a deductive approach was used to establish the highest-priority hypothesis, and the prismatic investigation method was applied for a multi-dimensional cross-verification of the ignition and fire spread causes. Furthermore, the 5-Why analysis technique was employed to move beyond simple symptomatic causes and derive the Root Cause: 'Minimization of safety investment to ensure competitive advantage.' Finally, we propose a three-stage structural safety countermeasure—technical, managerial, and institutional —to address the identified Root Cause, suggesting the necessity of enacting a logistics-facility-specific safety law (tentatively titled: Special Act on Fire Safety and Maintenance of Logistics Facilities). This study aims to contribute to a paradigm shift in the safety of large-scale logistics facilities.

Because Li-ion battery and Li-Polymer battery have high-energy storage density, they are used for various electronic devices such as electronic cigarette, electronic bicycle, drone, second battery, even golf cart and electronic car. Recently, however, battery explosion is sometimes occurring on electronic devices using Li-ion battery and is becoming serious as bodily harm is breaking out due to explosion. For this, this paper described the Li-ion Battery’s operating principles and Fire was caused through previous research and re-testing based on exposure to foreign substances such as water from the battery in contrast. According to the these experiments, we conducted a study to develope scanning techniques of fire and safety measures. (Most previous studies have been about the risk of fire in the battery due to physical shock, overcharging, and high temperature exposure.)

It is intended to confirm the fire risk of cigarette fires by analyzing the fire statistics of cigarette fires, which are the main causes of fire, and setting the firing conditions for each condition. The purpose is to establish firing conditions based on recent cigarette fire statistics to prove the possibility of fire, and to secure reliability by scientific consideration and experience accumulation of representative cigarette fire in microfurnace. In addition, it is intended to derive objective results from joint re-realization experience with related agencies.