CATASTROPHES!

FELINE FIRESTARTERS

spate of fires in South Korea have been traced to pet cats. The Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Department issued a statement saying that cats had caused at least 197 house fires between January 2019 and November 2021. They had done so by switching on electric hobs that have touch-sensitive buttons by walking or sitting on them. Once switched on, the hobs caused fires by overheating or by igniting flammable items left on or near the stove. Four people were