[Breaking] Main Fire at Kumho Tire Gwangju Plant Quickly Brought Under Control

Response Level to Be Lowered from Level 2 to Level 1 Around Midnight
Fire Authorities Say Complete Extinguishment Possible Tomorrow

The fire department has issued a Level 2 response due to a fire at Kumho Tire Gwangju Plant. Photo by Song Bohyun

The main fire at the Kumho Tire Gwangju Plant, which was initially expected to take more than a week to extinguish, is being brought under control more quickly than anticipated. There are even projections that the fire could be completely extinguished as early as tomorrow.

According to the fire department and other authorities on May 17, the current fire damage in Building 2 (Rubber Mixing Process Building), where the fire first started, is estimated to be about 60% of the building.

The fire department explained that they were able to prevent the main fire from spreading to the neighboring Building 1, thereby stopping further expansion of the blaze.

However, since about 20 tons of raw rubber and other heat- and fire-vulnerable materials are stored inside, the authorities are currently focusing on extinguishing residual fires.

The fire department plans to lower the fire response level from the current Level 2 to Level 1 if the main fire is brought under control around midnight today.

Given the current progress in firefighting, authorities believe that a complete extinguishment could be possible tomorrow.

Meanwhile, it is presumed that the fire started from a spark generated by a device used to preheat rubber, which is a raw material for tires.

When the fire first broke out, some employees attempted to put it out using fire extinguishers inside the plant, but failed and subsequently reported the incident to the fire department.

During the firefighting operation, one Kumho Tire employee sustained serious injuries, was rescued, and transported to the hospital, while two firefighters were also injured and are currently receiving treatment. Due to the fire, the entire production line at the Kumho Tire Gwangju Plant has been completely halted. It is expected to take several months or more before normal operations can resume.