[On Site] "Unrecognizable Form"... Euljiro Fire, Residents 'Anxious'

[Financial News] "The neighborhood has completely collapsed."
The site on the 29th, the day after a fire that took more than 12 hours to extinguish occurred in the Euljiro area of Jung-gu, Seoul, was a 'pile of ashes'. The burned stores had roofs collapsed and walls broken, making them unrecognizable. Only the charred sign fragments suggested that there used to be a store here. Around the shopping area, remnants of burned steel bars were scattered. Even 200m away, the acrid smell rose with every breath. Lowering the mask and breathing in made the throat sting. Residents' coughing sounds continued.
According to the fire authorities, the fire started at around 3:25 PM the previous day in a warehouse on the first floor of a three-story building near Sewoon Daelim Shopping Center. This fire destroyed 48 out of 74 operating stores. A man in his 70s who inhaled smoke and sustained minor injuries was taken to Hanyang University Hospital. Due to the narrow access road, the extinguishing was delayed, and at 4:37 PM, an hour after the fire started, a level 2 response was issued, mobilizing personnel from nearby fire stations. At one point, the lanes in the direction of City Hall from Euljiro 4-ga to 3-ga were completely controlled. The fire was completely extinguished at around 3:50 AM, 12 hours and 30 minutes after it started.
Residents were anxious in a situation where the exact cause of the fire was unknown. Mr. Lee (72) said, "The smoke directly hit the house, making it impossible to stay at home, so I slept at a nearby accommodation," and "At around 3:25 PM yesterday, there was a popping sound, and pillars of fire soared, and the smell was indescribable." He continued, "The dust mask turned black in an hour, and even blocking the window gaps with a wet cloth didn't stop the ash from coming in." Resident Mr. Yoo (73), who has lived in Euljiro for nearly 20 years, said, "There are places that have been vacant for 3-4 years without business because the owners passed away, so proper management might not have been done," and "The fire cause will be revealed by the fire department, but it might not be easy," he worried. 
Due to the fire starting in an old building slated for redevelopment, public anxiety was particularly high. Mr. Kwon (in his 60s), who has been running an electrical business for nearly 30 years, said, "The store was burned," and "Many places have been remodeled from Hanok buildings, making it difficult to control the flames once they start. There were many empty stores due to redevelopment, and as people left, they dumped trash, leaving too much to burn," he worried. He added, "Isn't it useless to spray water on vinyl tents, cloth, or waste tires once they catch fire?"
Merchants unanimously said they stopped business the previous day due to the fire. Mr. Shin (in his 60s), who supplies electrical goods, said, "I had no choice but to close the store because firefighters were coming and going," and "I've been running the store for 7 years, and it's the first time such a fire happened nearby, so I was flustered," he confessed.
Many merchants experienced difficulties in business due to power outages. According to residents, the power was cut off immediately after the fire occurred. Mr. Kim (60), who runs an electrical goods store, lamented, "Computers, fax machines, and Wi-Fi are all not working, so I can't do business."
Residents hoped for quick recovery from the damage. Resident Mr. Baek (73) said, "About 30 households live here, and everyone's daily life has collapsed," and "There was a lot of worry about where and how to go when the fire broke out," he said. He added, "Merchants should handle the situation well, and residents should be able to rest comfortably at home, shouldn't they?"
Meanwhile, at 11:52 AM on the same day, a report of "smoke rising" was received from the fire site, and the fire authorities were dispatched again. The fire authorities completed safety measures by spraying water, assuming that smoke was generated from the debris due to heat. The police and fire authorities plan to investigate the exact cause of the fire and the extent of the damage through a joint inspection on the 30th.

jyseo@fnnews.com Seo Ji-yun Choi Hye-rim Reporter