As a fire at the Coupang logistics center in Incheon spread up the building's exterior wall to the seventh floor, fire authorities issued a national firefighting mobilization order and are continuing suppression efforts. Because of the characteristics of the large logistics warehouse loaded with a large volume of household goods, as well as thick smoke and high heat, entry into the interior is difficult and the firefighting is dragging on.
Jeon Jae-in, Director of the 119 Disaster Response Division at the Incheon Seobu Fire Station, said at an on-site briefing on the 18th, "The sixth floor where the fire broke out is a large logistics warehouse with a three-tier rack structure, with a large amount of combustibles such as household goods stored," and "the fire has spread up the building's exterior wall to the seventh floor."
Director Jeon explained the reason the suppression has continued for a long time, saying, "The interior space of the warehouse is very large, and thick smoke and high heat continue to occur, making it very difficult to secure visibility and enter the interior," and "we are checking temperatures from time to time in case the fire spreads to the lower floors."
To prevent the fire from spreading, fire authorities have established lines to block flame extension throughout the building and are removing obstacles using excavators and forklifts, while deploying special equipment such as unmanned destructive water cannons to carry out suppression. They also plan to investigate the exact ignition point, the building's internal structure, and whether fire protection systems such as sprinklers and fire shutters operated, as soon as suppression is completed.
The fire broke out at about 6:54 a.m. on the 18th on the sixth floor of Coupang Logistics Center No. 32 in Seoknam-dong, Seohae District, Incheon. The building where the fire occurred is an eight-story above-ground logistics center with a total floor area of about 299,000㎡.
Fire authorities sequentially issued Level 1 response at 9:15 a.m. and Level 2 response at 12:25 p.m., followed by a national firefighting mobilization order at 3:15 p.m. Accordingly, equipment such as high-reach ladder trucks and unmanned firefighting robots was additionally supported from Seoul, Gyeonggi, North Chungcheong, South Chungcheong, and Gangwon, and currently 386 personnel, including firefighters, and 142 pieces of equipment have been deployed to continue suppression efforts.
At the time of the fire, all 121 people, including logistics center employees, evacuated on their own, and there have been no civilian casualties so far. However, one firefighter in his 40s who was suppressing the fire using a ladder truck inhaled smoke during the response, was transported to a hospital, and is receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Fire authorities plan to investigate the exact cause of the fire and the extent of the damage as soon as the flames are completely contained.