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Osan Apartment Fire From DIY Flamethrower Kills 1 as Police Seek Arrest

Investigators say a resident ignited flammable aerosol to kill a cockroach, sending smoke through the stairwell.

Overview

  • Police in Osan requested an arrest warrant for the resident on negligent arson and negligent death.
  • The blaze began around 5:30 a.m. Monday in a second-floor unit after flammable spray was lit with a lighter, and smoke spread through the building’s central stairs.
  • A Chinese woman in her 30s fell from a fifth-floor window while escaping after handing her two-month-old to a neighbor; the baby survived.
  • Eight people suffered mostly minor smoke inhalation, and firefighters controlled the fire in about 40 minutes.
  • Investigators say the suspect, about 20, admitted she had used the aerosol-and-lighter method previously.