A major fire at a logistics center near the Gyeongin Ara Waterway in Incheon forced 34 people to evacuate, with firefighters bringing the blaze under control seven hours after the first emergency call. Authorities had at one point raised their response to level 2.
According to the Incheon Fire Headquarters, a call came in at about 2:44 p.m. on the 18th reporting a fire of unknown origin in a large stack of cardboard boxes outside the Saint T&L Incheon logistics center in Gyeongseo-dong, Incheon. A total of 34 people, including building staff, evacuated under the direction of firefighters, and no injuries were reported.
Firefighters declared a level 1 response — mobilizing all personnel and equipment from the local fire station — at 3:21 p.m., 37 minutes after the call. As concerns grew that the fire would spread, the response was raised to level 2 at 6:25 p.m., then lowered back to level 1 an hour later at 7:25 p.m.
The building's sandwich-panel construction and the large volume of combustible materials stored inside made the fire difficult to fight. Furniture was stacked on the first floor and cosmetics products, including hair dye, on the second, authorities said. None of the stored goods were classified as hazardous materials.
Crews used excavators to dismantle the outer panel walls and spray water into the interior. The fire was brought under initial control at about 9:44 p.m., seven hours after the call came in. A total of 90 pieces of equipment and 244 personnel were deployed.
Authorities said they will investigate the exact cause of the fire and the scale of property damage once mop-up operations are complete.
