"Looking for Heroes"... Soldiers Calmly Leaving After Extinguishing Highway Fire

Black Smoke Emanates from Fire, Vehicle Control Implemented
Fire Safely Extinguished by Dispatched Firefighters

When a vehicle fire broke out on the highway, soldiers who witnessed the scene rushed over and played a significant role in extinguishing the fire by using fire extinguishers for initial suppression, a fact that was revealed later.

According to the Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters on the 31st of last month, a sports utility vehicle (SUV) fire accident occurred on the morning of the 27th at 11:47 AM on the Jungbu Naeryuk Expressway heading toward Yangpyeong in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province.

According to the Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters on the 31st of last month, a fire accident involving a sports utility vehicle (SUV) occurred at 11:47 a.m. on the 27th on the Jungbu Naeryuk Expressway heading towards Yangpyeong in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province.
[Photo by Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters]

The harrowing moment, which even posed an explosion risk, was captured on the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage at the scene, showing a military bus carrying soldiers passing nearby stopping in front of the burning vehicle instead of passing by.

Then, 6 to 7 soldiers got off the bus, took fire extinguishers from the bus trunk, and began spraying around the SUV. The flames were too intense to fully extinguish the fire. As thick black smoke began to fill the road, the soldiers hurriedly moved behind the burning vehicle and waved their arms vigorously to guide the lined-up vehicles into the first and second lanes.

The soldiers continued directing traffic until firefighters from the Yeoju Fire Station Ganam 119 Safety Center arrived at the scene. Only then did the soldiers board the bus and leave.

The fire was later safely extinguished by the dispatched firefighters. Fortunately, the vehicle owner had already moved to the guardrail, and there were no casualties.

Soldiers who were guiding vehicles until firefighters from the Gyeongnam 119 Safety Center at Yeoju Fire Station arrived at the scene suddenly boarded a bus and disappeared only after the firefighters arrived.
[Photo by Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Safety Headquarters]

Yu Jae-hoon, team leader of Ganam Center Team 2 (Fire Lieutenant), who was deployed to the fire scene at the time, said, "The fuel tank of the burning vehicle had melted and fuel had spilled onto the ground, creating a dangerous situation where the spilled fuel caught fire," adding, "If the soldiers had not sprayed fire extinguishers during the initial stage, the fire would have become explosively intense."

Team Leader Yu continued, "I was wearing a self-contained breathing apparatus mask during the fire, so I was aware of the soldiers' presence but did not know exactly what they were doing," and said, "Despite the intense flames, they parked the bus on the shoulder and made efforts to suppress the fire initially. I am grateful to those soldiers whose names and affiliations are unknown."

Meanwhile, the Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters is currently trying to identify the soldiers and their units who attempted the initial fire suppression.

Jo Sun-ho, head of the Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters, said, "Seeing the soldiers who did not just pass by the dangerous fire scene on the highway, I felt their strong sense of duty and courage," and added, "Although we do not know their names or affiliations, we express our deep gratitude."