Woman’s Attempt to Burn Cockroach Triggers Apartment Fire in South Korea

A woman in her twenties is facing legal action after a fire in an apartment building in Osan, South Korea, left one person dead and several others injured.

Police said the fire began in the woman’s flat earlier this week when she tried to kill a cockroach using a lighter and a flammable aerosol spray. She admitted to having used the same method before. 

This time, the flames spread quickly through her home and into other parts of the building, causing extensive damage. A woman in her thirties, a Chinese national living on the fifth floor with her husband and baby, died after attempting to escape through a window. 

As smoke blocked the stairwell, the couple passed their child to a neighbour in the adjacent building. The husband managed to cross over, but his wife fell during the escape and later died in the hospital.

The building, which has commercial units on the ground floor and 32 residential flats above, sustained significant fire damage. Eight other residents were treated for smoke inhalation. 

Emergency crews responded rapidly, but heavy smoke and flames prevented many people from using normal exit routes. Authorities said the woman may face charges of involuntary manslaughter and negligent arson. 

The case has renewed concerns over the use of improvised flame-based pest control methods, which have become increasingly common online despite their risks. Similar incidents have been reported in the past, including a 2018 case in Australia where a man accidentally set fire to his kitchen while attempting to kill cockroaches with a homemade flamethrower.

Investigators are continuing to examine the circumstances of the Osan fire.