Fined for Flicking Cigarette Butt That Caused Fire Damage to 36 Stores in Commercial Building

Court Imposes Fine of 10 Million Won
"Flicked Cigarette Ember Was the Direct Cause of the Fire"

A woman in her 50s has been fined for causing fire damage to 36 stores in a large commercial building housing a multiplex cinema after flicking a lit cigarette butt.

On June 18, Judge Gong Woojin of the Incheon District Court Criminal Division 14 announced that he had sentenced Ms. A (51, female), who was indicted on charges of accidental arson, to a fine of 10 million won.

Court. Asia Economy DB.

Ms. A was indicted for accidentally causing a fire at around 11:34 a.m. on April 3, 2023, in a commercial building with 14 above-ground floors located in Bupyeong-dong, Bupyeong-gu, Incheon.

According to the investigation, after smoking a cigarette on the road in front of the building, she flicked the cigarette butt with her fingers, causing the embers to land on the outdoor terrace of a restaurant on the first floor of the building.

As a result of the fire, 36 out of the 47 stores in the commercial building, which houses Lotte Cinema, suffered damage. Among them, one store was completely destroyed, while another suffered partial destruction, with about half of its facilities burned.

Judge Gong stated, "It was confirmed that the defendant was smoking right in front of the ignition point and flicked the cigarette butt with her hand to put it out, and the embers or ash from the butt fell in the direction of the ignition point. The defendant left the scene without checking whether the embers or ash had been fully extinguished."

Regarding the grounds for the guilty verdict, he explained, "It can be acknowledged that the embers from the cigarette butt flicked by the defendant were the direct cause of the fire. The possibility that the fire was caused by mechanical, electrical, or chemical factors is low, and there is little evidence to suggest arson."