Fire breaks out at 6:10 a.m. on the 15th
Fire department dispatched after report from logistics center security guard
Over 120 fire vehicles and 300 personnel mobilized
No casualties reported... Large volume of goods hampers firefighting efforts
At around 6:10 a.m. on November 15, a fire broke out at the E-Land Fashion logistics center in Pungse-myeon, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungnam Province. The fire authorities issued a Level 2 response and are working to extinguish the blaze.
On the morning of the 5th, a fire broke out at the E-Land Fashion logistics center in Pungse-myeon, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungnam Province, where firefighters who rushed to the scene are extinguishing the fire. Photo by Chungnam Fire Headquarters, Yonhap News Agency
The fire department was dispatched after receiving a report from a security guard at the logistics center stating that the fire alarm had gone off. At 6:15 a.m., a Level 1 response was issued, and at 7:01 a.m., the response was elevated to Level 2. At around 7:10 a.m., the Chungnam Provincial Control Team and Cheonan City Command and Control Team were activated to respond on site, and eight helicopters were deployed.
Fire authorities mobilized more than 120 vehicles and over 300 personnel from the Chungnam region, southern Gyeonggi, North Chungcheong, and Daejeon to bring the fire under control. According to the police, there were two security guards and one situation manager in the logistics center at the time of the fire, but all three evacuated safely. As a result, fortunately, there were no casualties. However, the logistics center is filled with clothing and other goods, making firefighting efforts challenging.
The affected center was completed in July 2014. It is a large-scale logistics facility with one basement level and four above-ground floors, covering a total floor area of 193,210 square meters. It can accommodate 150 cargo trucks simultaneously and process up to 50,000 boxes per day and 4 to 5 million boxes annually.
A fire department official stated, "We are containing and extinguishing the fire to prevent it from spreading outside the logistics center. Since the interior of the center is large and contains a lot of flammable materials such as clothing, we are maintaining a Level 2 response."
Starting at 7:20 a.m. on the same day, Cheonan City sent disaster text alerts informing the public about the fire, repeatedly urging nearby residents to move away from the site and for vehicles to take alternate routes. The city also cautioned people to be careful of smoke inhalation due to the large amount of smoke generated. Temporary traffic controls were implemented at the fire site and in adjacent areas.
The police and fire authorities plan to begin an on-site investigation to determine the exact ignition point and cause as soon as the fire is fully extinguished.
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