Dogs, cats, and pet goats have been blamed for the sharp increase in residential fires. Animals are causing fires by playing with switches on gas stoves, reports the South China Morning Post.
A study conducted by the Japanese National Institute of Technology and Evaluation revealed that in the last ten years, at least 61 residential fires were caused by pets. According to the publication, there has been a rise in the popularity of gas stoves with button controls in Japan in recent years. This factor, combined with the increasing number of pets left alone in apartments during working hours, has contributed to the rise in incidents of fires in residential areas.
According to data from gas equipment manufacturer Paloma Co., about 90% of fires caused by animals are related to gas stoves. The remaining incidents occurred because pets chewed on exposed electrical wires or urinated on them.
In 2022, firefighters were unable to control a fire that engulfed an apartment in the city of Kobe. Two cats were blamed for this incident, which sparked the fire and died as a result. A few days later, the owner of a pet store in the city of Toyota reported that one of the dogs there was playing with the stove and started a fire that caused significant damage to the building.
The institute urged pet owners in Japan to turn off the gas supply to the burners when leaving their pets alone at home, as well as to restrict animals' access to kitchens and other areas where they could cause a fire.
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