"Rushing with Fire Extinguisher on the Way to Work" Seongnam Fire Station Center Chief Prevents Major Blaze

Lee Ohyoung, Head of Dandae 119 Safety Center in Seongnam
Firefighter's Brave Response on the Way to Work Draws Attention
Beneficiaries Express Gratitude: "A True Hero in Our Neighborhood"

Lee Ohyoung, Head of Seongnam Fire Station Center. Provided by Seongnam Fire Station

It was belatedly revealed that a firefighter, who was on his way to work, witnessed a fire scene and prevented a major disaster through a swift initial response, serving as a role model.

According to the Seongnam Fire Station in Gyeonggi Province on January 8, Lee Ohyoung, the head of the Dandae 119 Safety Center, quickly extinguished a fire that broke out on the rooftop of a building in Eunhaeng-dong, Jungwon-gu, Seongnam City, around 7:19 a.m. on January 7 while on his way to work.

At the time, as soon as Lee witnessed black smoke and flames rising from the building's rooftop, he immediately stopped his car. The scene was in a densely packed commercial area, making it a critical situation that could have easily escalated into a large-scale fire.

Without hesitation, Lee secured a fire extinguisher from a nearby building and rushed up to the fourth-floor rooftop where the fire had started. He then sprayed fire-extinguishing powder toward the ignition point and managed to suppress the blaze before the fire truck arrived.

According to fire authorities, the fire is presumed to have started when a heating wire, installed to prevent water pipes from freezing during winter, overheated. Thanks to Lee's prompt response, the fire was extinguished after only partially damaging the water facilities, with no casualties or damage to adjacent buildings.

After the fire was put out, the beneficiaries of the fire response visited the Dandae 119 Safety Center and expressed their gratitude, saying, "It was a busy morning rush hour, but we still vividly remember how he rushed into the flames without hesitation to put out the fire. If he had been even a little late, it could have turned into a major disaster. He is a true hero who protected our daily lives in a dangerous situation."

Lee Ohyoung stated, "Since it was morning, my first thought was that there could be citizens inside and around the building. I judged that it was most important to act before the fire spread, so I immediately went up to the rooftop."

Lee Ohyoung, the head of the Dandae 119 Safety Center in Seongnam City, at the fire scene that occurred around 7:19 a.m. on the 7th on the rooftop of a building in Eunhaeng-dong, Jungwon-gu, Seongnam City. Provided by Seongnam Fire Station

He added, "I am relieved that I was able to contain the fire at an early stage, and I will continue to do my best in my role at the scene to ensure the safety of citizens."