November is Fire Safety Month: check your electric blanket

November is Fire Safety Month (불조심 강조의 달) in Korea. This year the National Fire Agency (소방청) is asking every household to do four things:

• check the safety equipment at home,
• use electric and heating goods safely,
• fit a stand-alone smoke alarm (단독경보형감지기),
• agree a family escape plan.

Electric blankets (전기장판): the fire agency's standing advice

• Before you use it, check the heating wire inside for bends or damage.
• Do not use it on a latex mattress, and do not pile bedding on top while it is on. Both trap the heat.
• Switch it off when you go out.
• Buy one with the KC mark (Korea's safety certification) and follow the manual.
• When camping, check how much power it uses and keep the cord from overheating.

Your escape plan
Know two ways out of your home, and agree with the people you live with where to meet outside.

In a fire: get out first, then call 119.

Next step: tonight, check your blanket's cord and wire before you switch it on, and never fold bedding on top of it while it is on.

Sources: National Fire Agency, Fire Safety Month 2026; National Fire Agency, electric-blanket advice. Checked 6 November 2026.