A large fire broke out at a waste treatment facility in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, prompting authorities to launch firefighting operations.

The fire broke out at around 5:00 a.m. today (the 26th) at a resource recovery facility located in Sinhae-ri, Ganam-eup, Yeoju-si, Gyeonggi Province.

Immediately following the outbreak, three facility workers evacuated, and it has been reported that there are no casualties so far.

Deeming that there was a risk of the fire spreading, the fire department issued a Level 1 response, deploying around 90 personnel and approximately 30 pieces of equipment, and brought the main flames under control in about 3 hours and 30 minutes after receiving the report.

However, a fire official stated that due to the accumulated waste, it will take some time to completely extinguish the fire.

Through an emergency alert text message, the city of Yeoju urged, "A large amount of smoke is being generated due to the fire. Nearby residents are requested to close their windows to block smoke from entering."

The fire authorities plan to investigate the exact cause of the fire and the scale of the damage once firefighting operations are completed.

(Photo courtesy of Gyeonggi Provincial Disaster and Safety Headquarters)