South Korea’s pet owners put on alert after cats cause 107 house fires in 3 years
- The fires, which occurred between January 2019 and November last year, caused an estimated US$118,500 worth of damage and injured four people
- Owners were warned to fireproof their homes. Capital Seoul saw a fourfold increase in fires caused by household pets over an earlier three-year period
Between January 2019 and November last year, cats were blamed for starting a total of 107 house fires in the country’s capital, leaving four people injured and causing some 141 million won (US$118,500) worth of damage.
The curious creatures are thought to have mainly started the fires by inadvertently pressing touch-sensitive buttons that control the temperature on electric stoves, causing the appliances to overheat and catch fire, according to Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Management Department, which coordinates fire and rescue services in the capital.
“Households with cats are advised to pull the plug on electric ranges and stoves when they leave home or protect the stove switches with some kind of cover,” said Hwang Young-joong, a fire investigator from the department.
Household pets were held responsible for 31 fires in the capital between January and September 2019, the department’s figures show – a fourfold increase from three years earlier.
“Recently, cat-related fires are occurring continuously” said Chung Gyo-chul, a senior department official, who urged pet owners to turn off appliances before leaving home so as to prevent accidental fires started by their furry friends.
