Ulsan 33-Story Residential-Commercial Complex Apartment Fire Fully Extinguished After 15 Hours... 93 Injured (Comprehensive)

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] A large fire that broke out in a 33-story residential-commercial complex apartment in Ulsan was completely extinguished about 15 hours and 40 minutes after it started.

The Fire Agency announced that the fire that occurred at Samhwan Arnuvo Apartment in Daldong, Nam-gu, Ulsan on the night of the 8th burned half of one building and interior furnishings, and was fully extinguished as of 2:50 p.m. on the 9th.

The first report of the fire was received at 11:14 p.m. the previous day. The fire authorities arrived at the scene at 11:20 p.m. and began firefighting, but as the fire spread to the entire exterior wall of the apartment, they issued a Level 2 response at 11:48 p.m. Around 2 a.m. on the 9th, the large flames seemed to be under control, but the fire reignited near the 18th floor and spread inside the apartment, so firefighting efforts continued.

The fire authorities mobilized ladder trucks to fight the fire, but faced difficulties in extinguishing it as strong winds caused the fire to spread to the upper floors where ladder trucks could not reach.

At around 6:15 a.m., a mobilization order was issued for special firefighting equipment including a 70-meter high ladder truck and a high-performance chemical truck, as well as pump trucks and water tank trucks. A total of four helicopters?one each from Ulsan, Daegu, Gyeongbuk, and the Korea Forest Service?were deployed. In total, 148 fire trucks and equipment and about 1,300 firefighting personnel were mobilized for the firefighting efforts that day.

A Fire Agency official explained, "The exterior wall of the building where the fire occurred was constructed with aluminum composite panels, and embers hidden inside the panels intermittently reignited on unspecified floors." He added, "To proactively prepare for any situation, special equipment deployment was ordered from nearby cities and provinces."

The flames were initially brought under control by 12:35 p.m. on the 9th, but the fire was completely extinguished only at around 2:50 p.m., more than 15 hours after it started.

The building where the fire occurred is a residential-commercial complex consisting of underground floors 1 to 2 as parking lots, floors 1 to 3 as commercial and business facilities, and floors 4 to 33 as apartments, with a total of 127 households residing in the apartments.

Initially, the flames rapidly spread along the apartment's exterior wall from the lower floors to the upper floors, but fortunately, many residents evacuated on their own, and those trapped on the rooftop and some floors were all rescued by the fire rescue team. There were 93 casualties, all classified as minor injuries such as smoke inhalation and abrasions, and most received treatment at nearby hospitals and have been discharged.

However, the fire authorities kept the Nambu Fire Station firefighting team on standby at the scene as there were still areas emitting smoke, to prepare for any possible re-ignition.

From 3:30 p.m., the fire authorities began the first fire investigation together with the police, the National Forensic Service, and the Korea Electrical Safety Corporation.