A fire at a Coupang logistics center in Incheon has not been extinguished for 13 hours. As the blaze that started on the sixth floor spread to the seventh floor, fire authorities are preparing for nighttime firefighting operations.
According to fire authorities on the 18th, the logistics center fire, which began on the sixth floor that day, spread up the building's exterior wall to the seventh floor. Authorities believe household goods stored on the sixth floor fueled the flames.
Fire authorities are battling to extinguish the blaze. The fire, which broke out at around 6:50 a.m. that day, could not be contained early due to the logistics center's vast interior space and large volume of combustible materials. Fire authorities declared Response Stage 1, deploying personnel from the local fire station, at 9:15 a.m., and Response Stage 2, deploying five to six neighboring fire stations, at 12:25 p.m. At 6 p.m., they raised the response level further by issuing the National Fire Mobilization Order, the third stage. Currently, 412 personnel and 155 pieces of equipment have been mobilized at the site.
The fire has caused no direct casualties to employees or residents. However, the safety of firefighters is a concern. The interior space is vast, and dense smoke and high heat have made securing visibility difficult. During firefighting operations, a firefighter in his 40s inhaled smoke and was taken to a hospital, where he is receiving hyperbaric oxygen treatment. Rather than making reckless entry inside, authorities are conducting firefighting operations using areas such as the sides of the building. At the same time, they are carrying out a structural safety assessment in preparation for a collapse.
Fire authorities are considering deploying a large-capacity foam discharge system for effective firefighting. They are also preparing for prolonged firefighting operations, including positioning lighting vehicles. If the situation worsens, they plan to send evacuation text messages to residents in the surrounding area.
President Lee Jae-myung said that day, "Make every effort to suppress the fire and ensure that damage does not spread." Lee stressed that the safety of on-site firefighters must also be thoroughly protected during the firefighting process. Prime Minister Han Sung-sook instructed relevant agencies, "We must be alert to secondary accidents such as damage to residents and internal collapse caused by the fire." Choi Yong-cheol, head of the Central Emergency Rescue Control Group, said, "We must closely examine the building's collapse risk and carry out the firefighting operation systematically within a scope that ensures the safety of the firefighting personnel."
