▲ Firefighting operations are underway at the Coupang logistics center in Seoknam-dong, Seo-gu, Incheon, where a fire has been burning for the third consecutive day on July 20.
Fire authorities are focusing all efforts on preventing the spread of a fire at an Incheon Coupang logistics center, as it has been discovered that hundreds of robots equipped with fire-prone lithium batteries are located on the fifth floor, where the blaze has been burning for three days.
Heo Seok-gyeong, chief of the Incheon Seo-gu Fire Station, held a briefing at the scene today (July 20) and expressed concern, stating, "There are hundreds of warehouse robots that use lithium batteries on the fifth floor. If the fire spreads there, it will lead to a rapid combustion throughout the entire building."
The amount of lithium batteries on the fifth floor is estimated to be equivalent to that found in 20 electric vehicles.
"Currently, our personnel have entered the building to prevent the fire from spreading to the fifth floor, which has not yet been reached by the flames," Chief Heo said. "We are doing our best to suppress the fire by deploying 31 special vehicles, including ladder trucks, to all sides of the building."
He added that they are specifically using thermal imaging drones to monitor heat accumulation inside the building in real-time, focusing equipment on areas with intense combustion to block the fire from reaching the fifth floor.
Fire authorities have determined that the fire initially started on the right side of the sixth floor (Zone 1), based on the vehicle ramp, and spread to the seventh floor.
It was later found that the fire further spread to the left side of the sixth floor (Zone 2) and the seventh floor.
The facility is reportedly packed with large quantities of combustible materials, such as household goods, and the intense heat accumulation and complex internal structure are making it difficult for firefighters to enter and for smoke to be ventilated.
The sixth floor, where the fire began, has a floor area of 28,329 square meters, which is four times the size of a soccer field.
Fire authorities have been continuing suppression efforts for over 55 hours while maintaining a national firefighting mobilization order since July 18.
However, due to the large scale of the logistics center and the abundance of combustible materials, it is expected that it will take a significant amount of time to fully extinguish the fire.
Once the fire is extinguished, fire authorities plan to form a joint investigation team with the National Fire Research Institute and the Korea Electrical Safety Corporation to conduct an investigation into the exact cause of the fire and the extent of the damage.
The fire began at the Coupang 32 Logistics Center in Seoknam-dong, Seo-gu, Incheon, at 6:54 a.m. on July 18, and firefighting operations have been ongoing for three days.
At the time, 121 people, including logistics center staff, evacuated the building on their own, but two firefighters were treated at a hospital for smoke inhalation and exhaustion during the firefighting operation.
As the fire persisted for a long time, Seo-gu held a situation assessment meeting the previous day and issued an evacuation order for residents within a 116-meter radius of the fire site for their safety.
However, after reviewing the possibility of a collapse with private engineers and safety experts, it was decided to continue the firefighting operation, and collapse warning devices were installed to ensure immediate action if any signs of structural failure are detected.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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