Put Out Fire in Front of Restaurant, Then Asked to Pay for Fire Extinguisher: Outrage Over Brazen Demand

Fire Caused by Cigarette Butt Quickly Contained
Restaurant Owner Demands Payment for Fire Extinguisher

Public outrage has erupted after it was reported that a citizen who extinguished a fire in front of a commercial building using a restaurant's fire extinguisher was later asked to pay for the extinguisher. The firefighter who shared the story expressed his dismay, saying, "We have lost a good Samaritan."

Fire extinguisher. Pixabay

Baek Kyung (pen name), a current firefighter and writer, shared the details of a recent phone call with a citizen to his X (formerly Twitter) account on April 19. The caller was a passerby, referred to as Mr. A, who had put out a fire in front of a nearby commercial building.

The fire started when someone threw a cigarette butt near a utility pole where trash had piled up. However, the blaze was extinguished before the fire truck arrived on the scene. This was thanks to Mr. A's quick thinking?he used a fire extinguisher from a restaurant on the building's first floor to put out the fire in its early stages.

However, what Mr. A received in return was a demand to pay for the fire extinguisher. Baek explained that Mr. A called the fire station and said, "The restaurant owner is asking me to pay for the fire extinguisher," and asked, "Do I really have to pay for it?" and "Where can I buy a fire extinguisher?" Baek added, "This is the first time I've encountered such a case," and told Mr. A, "If you search for ABC fire extinguisher online, you'll find some options."

Baek commented, "The wind could have easily spread the fire to the commercial building, but it seems the restaurant owner was more upset about losing a used fire extinguisher." He lamented, "Instead of a thank-you, the person who acted out of goodwill received a bill." He went on to say that Mr. A remarked, "I won't step in again," and added, "And so, the world has lost another good Samaritan."

Upon hearing this story, online commenters responded, "It's like saving someone from drowning only to be asked to hand over your bundle," "You should be rewarded, not treated with ingratitude," "It should be mandatory by law for commercial and densely populated areas to have fire extinguishers available for anyone to use in case of a fire," and "People need to realize how harmful such selfish behavior is to society."