Increase in Fires in the Odesa Region in 2025
As of early 2025, there have been 7656 reported fires in the Odesa region, resulting in 55 fatalities, including two children. Additionally, 130 individuals were injured, among them nine children and nine rescuers. This information was provided by the press service of the Odesa City Council.
It is noted that the highest number of fire-related deaths occurred in the territories of the Odesa, Podilsk, and Bereziv districts. The majority of victims are pensioners and unemployed individuals aged over 61 years.
The main causes of these fires include careless handling of fire, particularly negligence while smoking under the influence, as well as violations of electrical installation operation rules. Estimated direct material losses from fires exceed 2 billion 490 million hryvnias.
Rescuers urge citizens to adhere to fire safety rules in their households. Specifically:
- ensure the heating source is in good condition before the heating season begins;
- regularly clean chimneys and stoves from soot, and check for cracks in the stove;
- during the heating season, monitor the stove and never leave it unattended; it is strictly prohibited to leave children alone at home with a lit stove;
- cleaning of heating stoves operating on solid and liquid fuels should be done at least once every three months; a metal sheet of no less than 0.5 x 0.7 m should be secured on the flammable floor in front of each stove's firebox;
- stoves and other heating devices must have fire separation from combustible structures;
- do not use uncertified and homemade heating appliances for warming rooms; do not place heating devices directly under outlets or on evacuation paths;
- avoid plugging in multiple electrical devices into an extension cord simultaneously, as the electrical network may not withstand the overload; do not leave young children unattended and do not allow them to play with matches;
- it is prohibited to use electric heaters for drying clothes and other materials; do not leave electric heating devices turned on when leaving the house; do not smoke in bed.
Citizens were also reminded of the rules for using gas burners and that all gas camping cylinders are disposable. Key rules include:
- do not leave cylinders in direct sunlight;
- remove the cylinder from the gas burner away from open flames;
- keep burners away from children and flammable materials;
- carefully read the instructions and safety rules before use.
