▲ Fire authorities issued a National Fire Mobilization Order to extinguish a fire that broke out at a hazardous materials storage warehouse in Tojin-ri, Cheongbuk-eup, Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, at around 12:03 AM on August 11.
A large fire broke out at a hazardous materials storage warehouse in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, but the main blaze has been brought under control following an all-out response by fire authorities, including the issuance of a National Fire Mobilization Order.
Although more than 1.9 million liters of flammable chemicals were stored inside, no casualties have been reported so far.
The Gyeonggi Provincial Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters lowered its response level from Level 2 to Level 1 for the fire at the hazardous materials storage warehouse (special logistics center) located in Tojin-ri, Cheongbuk-eup, Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, as of 5:16 AM today (August 11).
This decision was made after determining that the flames had subsided about five hours after the fire started.
No casualties have been confirmed to date.
Earlier, fire authorities received a fire report at around 12:03 AM today via the automatic fire speed-reporting system installed at the hazardous materials warehouse and rushed to the scene.
Believing there was a risk of the fire spreading, fire authorities issued Response Level 1 (requiring 31 to 50 vehicles) at 1:32 AM, 1 hour and 20 minutes after the fire broke out, and then raised it to Response Level 2 (mobilizing 51 to 80 vehicles) at 2:40 AM.
As the flames intensified, a National Fire Mobilization Order was issued at 3:39 AM.
Consequently, 26 units including fire water tanks and chemical trucks from four neighboring cities and provinces, including South Chungcheong, Sejong, North Chungcheong, and Daejeon, immediately stepped in to provide support.
The National Fire Mobilization Order is issued by the head of the National Fire Agency when it is difficult to respond to disasters such as fires with the firefighting capabilities of a specific city or province alone, or when there is a recognized need to mobilize firefighting resources at the national level to a disaster site.
Regarding the fire, Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Ho-jung instructed, "Related agencies such as the National Fire Agency, local governments, and the National Police Agency should mobilize all available firefighting forces and equipment to do their utmost in extinguishing the fire and searching for casualties."
With a total of 95 pieces of equipment and 238 personnel deployed, including mobilized resources from other regions, the flames subsided and the alert level was lowered to Level 1.
However, fire authorities are maintaining the National Fire Mobilization Order in preparation for any potential re-expansion of the flames.
The site of the fire is a single-story building with a total floor area of 937 square meters, identified as a special logistics center housing approximately 1.91 million liters of about 100 types of Class 4 hazardous materials and general chemicals.
Class 4 hazardous materials regulated by the Safety Control of Dangerous Substances Act are flammable liquids, which include special inflammables, Class 1 to 4 petroleums, and alcohols.
The company operating the warehouse is known to have facilities capable of storing secondary battery materials and finished products, but it has not been confirmed whether such materials were actually inside at the time of the fire.
Following the outbreak, Pyeongtaek City sent out emergency disaster text messages advising, "Nearby residents should close windows and refrain from going outside," and "Vehicles should take detour routes."
Fire authorities plan to investigate the exact cause and details of the fire once the flames are completely extinguished.
(Photo provided by Gyeonggi Provincial Disaster and Safety Headquarters, Yonhap News)
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