A fire that broke out at an agricultural and fishery market in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do, was brought under initial control in about 1 hour and 50 minutes.

The Jeollabuk-do Fire Headquarters stated that the fire started at around 11:15 PM last night (August 9) in the live fish section of the agricultural and fishery market in Songcheon-dong, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju.

Recognizing the potential for the fire to spread, the fire department issued a Level 2 response at around 11:30 PM, but gradually brought the flames under control and downgraded it to a Level 1 response at around midnight today.

They then lifted the Level 1 response at around 12:50 AM and brought the major fire under control at around 1:05 AM.

It was confirmed that out of the 40 stores located in the fire-damaged market building, 27 are currently in operation.

A fire official said, "We have made contact with all 16 people related to the stores currently in business."

The Jeonju city government briefly sent out an emergency text message advising "nearby residents to take precautions for safety, such as avoiding smoke inhalation."

The fire department plans to investigate the cause of the fire and the scale of the damage as soon as the remaining fires are fully extinguished.

(Photo provided by Jeollabuk-do Fire Headquarters) (Photo: Yonhap News)