▲ Firefighters work to extinguish a fire that broke out in a factory-concentrated area in Wonchang-dong, Seo-gu, Incheon, on the morning of June 16.
"The buildings are at risk of collapsing, making it difficult for firefighters to enter."
At 8 a.m. today (June 16), 25 buildings of factories and warehouses belonging to 17 companies (according to a tentative fire department tally) were engulfed in flames in a factory-concentrated area in Wonchang-dong, Seo-gu, Incheon.
Although six hours had passed since the fire started, thick black smoke continued to billow relentlessly from the roofs of the factories.
The blackened facades of the buildings were broken or warped, looking no different from ruins.
Some buildings had already collapsed, and flames continued to rise from the debris.
Around the burning factories, lumber yards and logistics warehouses were situated close together.
The fire spread rapidly as the buildings were packed tightly together, with gaps of only about 1 meter between them, and various flammable materials stored inside the factories acted as kindling.
Fortunately, the fire authorities assessed that the lack of strong winds prevented even greater damage.
Because many of the buildings were made of sandwich panels highly vulnerable to fire, firefighters were unable to easily enter and instead continuously sprayed water from the outside.
Aerial ladder trucks sprayed water from above while fire engines used hoses from below, and nine firefighting helicopters flew back and forth to contain the flames.
State-of-the-art equipment, including unmanned firefighting robots, unmanned demolition and water-spraying vehicles, and high-performance chemical trucks, was also deployed to handle firefighting in hard-to-reach areas.
Some firefighters climbed onto the roofs of nearby buildings that had not caught fire, adjusting the angle of the water spray to perform "targeted suppression."
Firefighters who were relieved after battling the flames sat on the ground, sweating profusely, and quenched their thirst with a bottle of water.
Incheon Mayor-elect Park Chan-dae also visited the scene of the fire to encourage the firefighters and volunteer firefighters.
Mayor-elect Park said, "I waited anxiously until the fire was somewhat under control so as not to interfere with the firefighting operations before coming here," adding, "I am relieved that there were no casualties."
He added, "There seems to be a need for fundamental improvements when designing industrial complexes and factories, such as addressing the issues of sandwich panels and the distance between buildings," and "I believe we must move in a direction that protects the lives, safety, and property of our citizens."
Today's fire started at 1:49 a.m. at a factory in Wonchang-dong.
Fire authorities, dispatched following a report from a security company, issued a Level 2 response phase at 3:59 a.m.—about two hours after the fire broke out—as the flames spread rapidly. This alert mobilizes personnel and equipment from five to six neighboring fire stations.
After deploying 151 pieces of equipment and 408 personnel to stop the fire from spreading, authorities downgraded the response level to Level 1 at 6:05 a.m.
So far, 25 buildings belonging to 17 companies are known to have been destroyed, and it has been confirmed that there are no casualties.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.