Firefighters Withdraw from Kumho Tire Blaze; Entire West Factory Expected to Burn

On the morning of the 17th, a fire broke out at Kumho Tire Gwangju Plant in Gwangsan District, Gwangju, sending black smoke billowing into the sky. Photo by Yonhap News

The fire that broke out at the Kumho Tire Gwangju Plant is spreading between the densely packed factory buildings.

According to fire authorities on the 17th, the fire at the Kumho Tire Gwangju Plant is currently spreading through the interiors of the closely situated factory buildings.

As of 12:00 p.m., 70% of the west factory, which is the size of five soccer fields, had been burned. The flames are reported to be spreading along the internal passageways.

Authorities attempted to isolate the affected area from the surrounding factories to prevent the fire from spreading, but were unable to do so because the machinery and equipment in each building are interconnected and could not be severed. Firefighters who had entered the building to fight the blaze were also withdrawn, as authorities determined there was a risk of collapse. The factory building where the fire first started collapsed three times. During this process, one firefighter who was nearby suffered facial burns and was transported to the hospital. Another firefighter sustained abrasions and was treated at the scene.

Authorities anticipate that containing the fire will be difficult, and expect that the entire west factory may be destroyed. The factory buildings, constructed with sandwich panels, are packed closely together, and it is reported that spraying firefighting water has not been effective.

Authorities believe that once the roof of the burned factory building is removed, it will become easier to suppress the fire using firefighting helicopters. Currently, eight helicopters, including firefighting helicopters, have been deployed to the scene.

The fire broke out at 7:11 a.m. on the same day at the Kumho Tire Gwangju Plant in Gwangsan District, Gwangju. This area, where raw rubber and chemical agents are mixed in the compounding process, reportedly had 20 tons of raw rubber stored. Authorities have declared Response Level 2 and are currently fighting the fire with 96 pieces of firefighting equipment and 262 personnel.