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SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -
The fire department in Seoul, the South Korean capital, is warning pet owners to be on guard as more than 100 home fires have started in the past three years. by cats.
A statement Thursday from the Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Department said the cats caused a total of 107 house fires between January 2019 and November this year.
The cats are believed to have started the fires by turning on the electric stoves, the department said.
Cats can start electric stoves by jumping on touch-sensitive buttons, and once overheated, appliances can catch fire.
Four people were injured in the fires and just over half of the fires started while the pet owners were away, the statement added.
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"There are still cat-related fires lately," said Chung Gyo-chul, a department official.
"We advise households with pets to pay more attention, as fire could spread widely when no one is home."
The department also advised cat owners to remove flammable objects, such as paper towels, from the stove.
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He suggested using an electric stove with automatic lock function to avoid the risk of fire.
According to the department, pet-related home fires are on the rise in Seoul.
Between January and September 2019, there were 31 such fires, a significant increase from just eight in 2016, the department said.
Most of the fires were caused by cats, he added.
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And the problem is not limited to South Korea.
According to the American Humane Association, pets are responsible for about 1,000 home fires in the United States each year.
The association encourages owners to put covers or remove knobs on stoves as a safety measure and says owners should discourage their pets from interacting with the stove.
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