Since the beginning of 2025, the Odesa region has recorded 7656 fire incidents, leading to the death of 55 individuals, including two children. Additionally, 130 people sustained injuries, among them nine children and nine rescuers. This information was shared by the press service of the Odesa City Council.

The highest number of fire-related fatalities has been observed in the Odesa, Podilsk, and Bereziv districts. Most victims are elderly and unemployed individuals over the age of 61.
The primary causes of fires are careless handling of fire, particularly carelessness when smoking while intoxicated, as well as violations of electrical equipment operation regulations (emergency operating mode) and stove usage. Estimated direct material losses from fires exceeded 2 billion 490 million hryvnias.

Rescue services urged citizens to adhere to fire safety rules at home. Specifically:

• Ensure the heating source is checked before the heating season starts;
• Chimneys and stoves should be cleaned from soot, and stoves should be checked for cracks;
• During the heating season, monitor stoves and never leave them unattended; it is strictly prohibited to leave children at home with a lit stove;
• Cleaning heating stoves that operate on solid and liquid fuels should be done at least once every three months; a metal sheet of at least 0.5 x 0.7 m should be installed in front of each stove on a combustible floor;
• Stoves and other heating devices must have fire safety separations from combustible structures;
• Avoid using uncertified and homemade heating devices; do not place heating devices directly under sockets or in evacuation routes;
• Do not plug in many 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 or lighters;
• It is prohibited to use electrical heating devices for drying clothes and other materials; do not leave electrical heating devices turned on when leaving the house; do not smoke in bed.

Citizens were also reminded of the safety rules for using gas burners and that all tourist gas cylinders are single-use. Key rules:

• Do not leave cylinders in direct sunlight;
• Remove the cylinder from the gas burner far from open flames;
• Keep burners away from children and flammable materials;
• Carefully read the instructions and safety rules before use.