▲ Officials from the fire department, the National Forensic Service, and other relevant agencies conduct a joint inspection to determine the cause of the fire at the Coupang Logistics Center 32 in Seoknam-dong, Seo-gu, Incheon, on July 28. (Photo: Yonhap News)
An investigation has concluded that the massive fire at the Incheon Coupang logistics center in July was likely triggered by the thermal runaway of a lithium-ion battery embedded in a product.
It took more than four days to completely extinguish the fire, resulting in property damages amounting to 114 billion won.
The National Fire Agency released the findings of the Central Joint Fire Investigation Team regarding the fire at the Coupang Logistics Center 32 in Incheon today (October 29).
The large-scale fire broke out at the Coupang Logistics Center 32 in Incheon on July 18.
More than 900 personnel, including firefighters and police officers, were deployed to battle the blaze, alongside 255 pieces of equipment, including 7 helicopters.
However, the flames were not easily contained, and the fire was completely extinguished at 8:35 p.m. on July 22, approximately 109 hours and 30 minutes after it started.
During the operation, two firefighters sustained minor injuries after inhaling smoke or suffering from exhaustion.
Property damages were tallied at 37.4 billion won for real estate such as the building and 76.6 billion won for movable property including stored goods, totaling 114 billion won.
The joint investigation team analyzed statements from officials and CCTV footage, pinpointing a goods storage rack on the sixth floor of Building B as the origin of the fire.
Household goods containing built-in lithium-ion batteries were stored on that rack.
The investigation team estimated that a thermal runaway occurred in the battery of one of these products, igniting the fire.
Thermal runaway is a phenomenon where the internal temperature of a battery rises rapidly, causing heat to generate in a chain reaction.
The initial fire spread to the product casing, packaging materials, and surrounding cardboard boxes.
The flames then rapidly expanded along the upper floors and the exterior walls of the building.
Vertically, the fire spread to the 7th and 8th floors as well as the cafeteria on the rooftop, and horizontally, it extended from the exterior wall of Building B toward Building B's connection with Building A.
However, fire authorities established a defensive line along the building's entry ramp, preventing the flames from spreading to Building A and the 5th floor and below.
Based on the investigation results, the National Fire Agency decided to strengthen safety standards for storing batteries in logistics warehouses.
In particular, since battery charge levels affect fire risks, the agency is reviewing measures to limit the state of charge to a certain level or lower when storing batteries in logistics warehouses.
Specific criteria will be discussed with relevant government ministries.
"Logistics warehouses contain many combustible materials such as cardboard boxes and packaging materials, meaning even a small spark can lead to a massive fire," said Choi Yong-cheol, head of the National Fire Agency, urging special caution in managing storage areas for battery-related products and early fire detection.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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