▲ This photo, provided by Getty Images Bank, shows a cat. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, Jan. 9 (Yonhap) -- The number of fires caused by pets is on the rise, raising the need for pet owners to take precautionary measures.

Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Department announced that cats caused a total of 107 electric stove fires starting from Jan. 2019 to Nov. 2021. 

Four people were injured in the fire and the total amount of property damage was 141.5 million won, which is 1.32 million won per fire.

A total of 54 cases were confirmed to have caught fire while the owner was away from home, including going to work.

The survey showed that 20 out of 33 cat-related files (60.6%) occurred last year when the owner was not at home.

When a fire broke out in an apartment in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on Dec. 20, 2021, it was found out that the cat pressed the electric stove power button to cause the overheating.

There were no casualties, but the fire burned some of the kitchen facilities and extinguished after 29 minutes, causing property damage worth 9.19 million won.

The Fire and Disaster Headquarters said, “Among pets, cats have a wide range of behavior so they often go up to the sink and step on the electric stove switch and start fires," adding, "The owners must check the power of the electric stove before they leave home.”

The department also advised removing flammable objects such as kitchen towels around the electric stove and recommended an electric stove with an automatic lock function.

"There have been a series of cat-related fires recently," said the Fire and Disaster Headquarters, "If there are no people in the house, it could lead to a large fire, so we ask special attention to households raising pets."

 

 

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