The firefighting authorities announced that they completely extinguished the fire at the Kumho Tire factory in Gwangju at 11:50 a.m. on the 20th. This was 76 hours and 39 minutes (3 days and 4 hours and 39 minutes) after the fire broke out around 7:11 a.m. on the 17th.
The firefighting authorities managed to contain the main fire around 2:50 p.m. on the 18th, 31 hours and 40 minutes after the fire broke out, but faced difficulties as embers continued to burn. Inside the factory, more than 200 clusters of burning embers, composed of various flammable materials, were still blazing. The day before, a firefighter had to withdraw after entering the factory when signs of building collapse appeared.
The Kumho Tire factory in Gwangju is divided into two sections, with the fire originating in the west section, or the second factory. It is reported that the fire started from an unknown spark in an industrial electric oven used in the refining process within this factory.
The firefighting authorities are in the process of dismantling the factory building to prevent smoke from continually emanating. Even after the fire is extinguished, smoke can still be released, potentially harming nearby residents and negatively impacting the environment. The area where the fire started will not be dismantled for the investigation into the cause of the fire.
As of 10 a.m. on this day, 1,236 reports of damage from nearby residents in the Gwangsan District have been received. Human damage includes 603 cases (48.8%) of headaches, vomiting, and dizziness.
This fire resulted in three casualties. A man in his 20s, an employee of Kumho Tire, was trapped inside the building after suffering a fracture during the evacuation process. Two firefighters who responded to the fire sustained injuries, including burns.
The fire, which raged for three days, burned 50 to 65% of the equipment in the second factory. This factory is responsible for processes such as mixing raw materials, including natural rubber and chemicals, processing main components of tires, and molding semi-finished products into the shape of tires. Recovery is expected to take several months.
The Gwangju Metropolitan City and the Gwangju City Council requested the government to designate special disaster and employment crisis areas to compensate affected residents and ensure job stability for workers.