Flames Flare Up from Cigarette Butt Discarded by Pedestrian
"Car Bumper Melted... Perpetrator Cannot Be Identified"
A story has been reported in which a fire broke out in a parking lot due to a cigarette butt carelessly discarded by a passerby, causing a vehicle's bumper to melt.
On the 22nd, a post titled "Parking lot fire caused by cigarette butt, rear bumper of vehicle melted" was uploaded on an online community. According to the author, Mr. A, the fire occurred around 9:50 PM on the 17th in a parking lot in Mabuk-dong, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi Province.
Mr. A stated, "One out of three passersby threw a cigarette butt, and it seems that it caught fire there," adding, "Part of the vehicle melted due to the fire." In the video Mr. A shared, a flash of light can be seen from the cigarette butt discarded by a passerby. He said, "If it had spread, the fire could have reached the building," and added, "Considering the one-room apartments and officetels nearby, there could have been significant casualties."
Mr. A also revealed that his vehicle was damaged. In the photos he shared, the rear bumper of the vehicle is visibly melted by the fire. The sack where the cigarette butt was discarded is melted and has holes. Mr. A said, "The police said it would take time to identify the suspect," and added, "The shock sensor on my car’s black box did not activate, so the culprit was not identified. I want to catch the culprit by reviewing nearby CCTV footage, but I don’t know how to proceed," seeking advice.
Netizens who read the story responded with comments such as, "Contact the owners of other damaged vehicles to secure their black box footage," "That’s why I hate people smoking on the street," "The flames were intense," "If they threw cigarette butts into a sack instead of a trash can, isn’t that intentional?" "There are really many people without common sense," and "It’s the first time I’ve seen a bumper melt."
Meanwhile, the act of illegally discarding cigarette butts falls under the prohibition of waste dumping according to Article 8, Paragraph 1 of the Waste Management Act. A fine of 50,000 KRW is imposed for the first, second, and third violations. If someone is found illegally discarding cigarette butts, they can be reported through the 국민신문고 (Gukmin Sinmungo) application. Reporters receive a reward equivalent to 10-20% of the fine. However, the percentage of the reward may vary depending on the local government, and if the local government has already exhausted all reward funds, the reporter may not receive a reward.
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