At around 4:04 PM on the 17th, a fire broke out at a waste oil refining factory in Sujang-ri, Sinchang-myeon, Asan-si, Chungnam. As of 8 PM that day, no casualties had been confirmed, but black smoke was billowing, leading to a series of 119 fire reports.
The fire authorities issued a Level 1 response alarm at around 4:23 PM, 19 minutes after the fire started, and raised it to Level 2 at around 4:27 PM to intensify firefighting efforts.
Level 1 response involves dispatching all personnel from the local fire station, while Level 2 mobilizes all personnel and equipment from 5 to 6 neighboring fire stations.
The fire department deployed about 230 personnel and around 60 firefighting vehicles and equipment, successfully achieving initial containment at 7:06 PM after about three hours. The response level was then downgraded to Level 1, and mop-up operations are currently underway.
At the early stage of the fire, the flames spread rapidly, and explosions occurred during firefighting, making suppression difficult. Fortunately, a shower began in Sinchang-myeon, Asan, in the afternoon, aiding fire suppression; rainfall was reported to be about 13mm by 7 PM.
The fire completely destroyed three factory buildings and oil trucks. The fire authorities plan to investigate the exact cause of the fire and the extent of the damage once the remaining flames are extinguished.
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