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| The number of fires caused by pets has increased in recent months. Yonhap |
The number of fires caused by pets is on the rise, data showed Saturday, raising the need for pet owners to take precautionary measures.
Thirty-one 31 fires reported in Seoul from the January to September period were accidentally caused by pets, according to the data from the Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Headquarters.
This marks a sharp rise from 19 cases in 2018, seven cases in 2017 and eight cases in 2016 during complete years.
Of the 65 fires caused by pets since 2016, 62 involved cats.
Except for one case where a lamp caught on fire, all the other cases occurred when pets accidentally stepped on the controls for table top electric cookers.
Fire officials suggested unplugging the cookers stoves or installing safety caps over the controls. They also warned pet users to avoid leaving flammable objects near stoves.
The number of Seoul residents who keep pets is on the rise as solo households are increasingly adopting cats as pets, according to separate data from the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
The number of households with dogs accounted for 84.9 percent of those with animals last year, slipping from 88.9 percent in 2014, while the number of homes with cats increased to 12.2 percent from 8.6 percent over the same period. (Yonhap)
