Since the beginning of 2025, there have been 7656 registered 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 Odesa, Podilsk, and Bereziv districts. Most victims are elderly and unemployed individuals over 61 years of age.
The primary causes of these fires are careless handling of fire, particularly negligence while smoking under the influence, as well as violations of electrical equipment operation rules and stove regulations. Estimated direct material losses from fires exceed 2 billion 490 million hryvnias.
Rescuers have urged citizens to adhere to fire safety rules at home. In particular:
- ensure the heating source is in good condition before the heating season starts;
- clean chimneys and stoves from soot on time, check for cracks, etc.;
- during the heating season, monitor stoves and never leave them unattended; it is strictly forbidden to leave children home alone with a lit stove;
- cleaning stoves from soot and debris should be done at least once every three months; a metal sheet no smaller than 0.5 x 0.7 m should be installed in front of the stove on a combustible floor;
- stoves and other heating appliances must have fire safety clearances from combustible structures;
- do not use uncertified and homemade heating devices; do not place heating devices directly under outlets or in evacuation routes;
- do not plug in multiple electrical devices into an extension cord simultaneously, as the electrical network may not handle the overload; do not leave young children unattended and do not allow them to play with matches, lighters, etc.;
- it is prohibited to use electric heating devices for drying clothes and other materials; do not leave electric heaters 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 single-use. 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.
