A fire broke out at a large logistics center in Bubal-eup, Icheon City, on the 13th. The fire authorities have issued a level 2 response and are working to extinguish the fire.
According to the fire authorities, a report was received at around 10:29 a.m. that "goods were burning on the 3rd floor of the logistics center." As of 12:57 p.m. that day, no casualties had been confirmed. The 178 people inside the building evacuated on their own.
The fire authorities reported that the situation was serious, issuing a level 1 response at 10:36 a.m. and elevating it to level 2 at 10:44 a.m. A level 2 response is an alert to mobilize 51 to 80 pieces of equipment from 8 to 14 fire stations.
The fire authorities are deploying 92 pieces of equipment, including command vehicles, and 270 personnel for firefighting operations. High-performance chemical trucks and unmanned water suppression vehicles, among other equipment, have also been dispatched.
The logistics center that caught fire is a 3-story above-ground and 1-story underground building, constructed using precast concrete (PC) methods, with a total floor area of approximately 80,000 square meters. Precast concrete refers to a construction method in which concrete structural elements such as columns, beams, slabs, and walls are manufactured off-site and assembled on-site.
The fire is believed to have originated on the 3rd floor of the logistics center. Efforts are currently focused on preventing the fire from spreading to the 1st and 2nd floors. The fire authorities plan to investigate the cause of the fire as soon as they have completely extinguished it.
Icheon City sent an emergency text at 10:54 a.m., stating, "A large amount of smoke is arising from the warehouse fire in Sujeong-ri, Bubal-eup. Please detour around the surrounding roads, and nearby residents should be cautious of their safety."