Resident Evacuation Commotion... No Casualties Reported
Fire Authorities "Power Must Be Shut Off Before Going Out"
As the number of households with pets increases, related fire accidents are occurring one after another. Recently, a fire presumed to have been caused by a cat touching an electric stove broke out in a villa in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul.
According to the fire authorities on the 15th, a fire broke out around 9:15 PM the previous day on the 2nd floor of a 5-story villa in Daejo-dong, Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, presumably caused by a cat touching the touch-type electric stove highlight. The fire department deployed 14 fire trucks and 50 firefighters and extinguished the fire around 9:31 PM, about 16 minutes after the fire started.
There were no casualties as no one was home at the time of the fire, but the incident caused 12 villa residents to evacuate. The fire also caused property damage worth approximately 6.84 million won by burning a water purifier, the highlight stove, and kitchen utensils inside the house.
Such cases of cats operating electric stoves and causing fires when no one is home are increasing, so households with pet cats are advised to be cautious.
In June, a cat in an officetel in Seogwi-dong, Seogwipo-si, Jeju, caused a fire by operating the electric stove highlight while the owner was out, and in April, a fire presumed to have been caused by a cat turning on an electric stove occurred in a multi-family house in Daejeon.
According to the fire authorities, cats can operate electric stoves just like humans because they sweat from their paw pads. A fire department official said, "It is best to turn off the power of various outlets, including the electric stove, before going out, and to remove flammable materials such as paper around the electric stove that are vulnerable to fire. Covering the heating device with an appropriate cover to prevent pets from operating it is also a good method."
Meanwhile, besides electric stoves, cats have also caused fire accidents with one-touch ignition gas stoves.
According to the Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters, a gas stove fire occurred around 6 AM on June 6th at a villa in Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi-do. The fire investigation revealed that the gas stove involved was a one-touch ignition type, and the cat raised in the household stepped on the ignition lever and slipped while jumping up to eat food on the sink, causing the ignition switch to activate.
In response, the provincial fire and disaster headquarters advised, "It is necessary to develop the habit of shutting off the intermediate valve when not using the gas stove to prevent fires. Also, contents that may attract pets' interest should be securely packaged and stored."
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