Cats caused more than 100 house fires in the past 3 years, South Korea officials say

南韓官員說，貓在過去3年引發100多起住宅火災

【摘要2022.8.19.五.自由】◎張沛元

Pet owners in South Korea have been warned to stay on their guard after more than 100 fires were started by cats over the past three years, according to fire officials in the capital Seoul.

南韓首都首爾的消防官員表示，貓在過去3年引發超過100起火災，警告寵物飼主保持警覺。

A statement Thursday from the Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Department said cats caused a total of 107 house fires between January 2019 and November 2021.

首爾大都會消防與災難部門週四發表的一份聲明說，從2019年1月到2021年11月，貓總共引發107起住宅火災。

The cats are believed to have started the fires by switching on electric stoves, the department said. Cats can turn electric stoves on by jumping on touch-sensitive buttons – and once overheated, the appliances can catch fire.

該部門說，據信是貓打開電爐開關而引發火災。貓能夠藉由跳上觸動感應式按鈕而打開電爐──而電爐一旦過熱，就會起火。

Four people were injured in the fires, just over half of which started while pet owners were out, the statement added.

該聲明補充說，這些火災中有4人受傷，其中過半數火災發生於飼主不在家之際。

新聞辭典

stay on one’s guard：慣用語，保持警覺。stay on，片語，保持某種活動狀態。

switch/turn on：打開（電器）開關；關掉（電器）開關：switch/turn off。例句：She always turns off her smartphone before she goes to bed.（她總是在睡前關閉手機。）

catch fire：片語，著火。例句：Keep away from the burner or you will catch fire.（離那爐子遠一點免得著火。）