The fire at the Coupang 32 logistics center in Seohae District, Incheon, was completely extinguished on the 22nd, four days after it broke out. It came three days (about 110 hours) after the blaze began at 6:54 a.m. on the 18th. Fire authorities said they plan to investigate the exact cause of the fire and the extent of the damage.
The Incheon Fire Headquarters said it fully put out the Coupang logistics center fire at 8:35 p.m. that day and lifted the first response stage that had been issued.
The fire occurred at the Incheon Coupang logistics center, an eight-story building above ground with a total floor area of 299,000 square meters. The flames started on the sixth floor of Building A, spread to the seventh floor of the same building, and then to the seventh floor of adjacent Building B. Large amounts of combustible materials were stored inside, and the building's complex layout made suppression difficult.
Fire authorities issued the first response stage at 9:15 a.m. on the day of the fire and raised it to the second stage at 12:25 p.m. the same day. As the fire proved difficult to control, they issued a national fire mobilization order and sent personnel and equipment from other cities and provinces to the scene. The deployed firefighting force reached 239 pieces of equipment and 845 personnel.
Fire authorities continued suppression by combining exterior water streams with interior entry. The inside of the building was engulfed in intense heat and thick smoke, and there were even concerns the structure could collapse.
On the third day of the fire, at about 8 p.m. on the 20th, fire authorities brought the major flames under control. The second response stage that had been in effect was lowered to the first stage. From then on, they focused all efforts on putting out remaining embers, centering on the building exterior and the cargo truck access routes.
Police, the National Forensic Service, and related agencies plan to conduct a joint inspection to investigate the cause of the fire, including whether there were facility defects.