Kumho Tire noted on the 22nd that the fire at its Gwangju plant occurred due to foreign substances contained in the rubber.
Kumho Tire held a media briefing that day and said, "There were foreign substances in the industrial oven used to heat the rubber, which caused the fire." They explained that since rubber is a natural material, substances like wood were mixed in.
A representative from Kumho Tire said there was no issue regarding the allegation that the fire door did not function properly. A team composed of fire safety and facility personnel conducts inspections every month, and they received a report indicating no problems during last month’s inspection, according to Kumho Tire.
A Kumho Tire official stated, "When the fire broke out, an automatic carbon dioxide extinguishing agent was discharged, and when that was not effective, we manually discharged it once more, but the flames did not subside. When water was sprayed, a lot of smoke emerged, prompting the evacuation of all personnel."
According to Kumho Tire, four out of the seven tire production processes at the Gwangju plant suffered fire damage. It has been reported that it is still uncertain whether or when operations can be resumed. In particular, since most of the refining process equipment was destroyed, Kumho Tire indicated that even if the equipment for subsequent processes remains, the ability to operate the plant is unclear.