Fire at Incheon Coupang Logistics Center Still Being Battled After 55 Hours... All-Out Effort to Block Spread to 5th-Floor Lithium Battery Area

[Financial News, Incheon = Reporter Han Gap-su] Firefighters are making an all-out effort to prevent a fire that broke out at the Coupang logistics center in Seoknam-dong, Seohae District, Incheon, from spreading to the fifth floor, where hundreds of lithium battery-powered logistics robots are stored, as the blaze has continued for more than 55 hours.
Incheon Seobu Fire Station said on the 20th, during a briefing by the emergency response command center, that firefighting operations for the blaze, which started at around 6:54 a.m. on the 18th, are still ongoing. Fire authorities are keeping the Level 2 fire response and the national fire mobilization order in place while deploying firefighting resources from across the country to the scene.
The Coupang logistics center where the fire broke out is a large facility with one basement level and eight floors above ground, covering a total floor area of 299,308 square meters. The sixth floor, where the fire is concentrated, has a floor area of 28,329 square meters, about four times the size of a soccer field.
The fire began in Section 1 on the sixth floor, spread to the seventh floor, and then expanded to Sections 6 and 7 on the sixth and seventh floors. Large quantities of combustible materials, including household goods, are stored inside the building, and its complex structure has caused severe heat buildup. As a result, smoke ventilation and firefighters' access to the interior have been difficult.
The biggest concern now is the fifth floor. Hundreds of logistics robots using lithium batteries are stored there, raising the risk that if the fire spreads, an explosion could trigger rapid combustion throughout the building. Firefighters are making every effort to enter the fifth floor directly, establish firebreaks, and prevent the blaze from spreading further.
Outside the site, 31 special vehicles, including aerial ladder trucks, have been deployed to suppress the flames, while thermal imaging drones are being used to monitor heat buildup inside the building in real time.
Two firefighters have been injured so far in the fire. One was hospitalized for treatment after suffering breathing difficulties, while the other was treated for exhaustion and later discharged.
As the fire drags on, authorities have also stepped up efforts to protect nearby residents. After a meeting with relevant agencies at 8:20 p.m. the previous day, the Seohae District Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters issued an evacuation order for residents within a 116-meter radius of the fire scene.
In addition, authorities are continuously monitoring the possibility of building collapse with advice from private engineers and safety experts. Fire officials have installed collapse alarms at three key points in the building and set them to sound immediately if any abnormal signs are detected.
Heo Seok-gyeong, chief of Incheon Seobu Fire Station, said, "We are mobilizing all available firefighting resources and focusing on preventing the fire from spreading to the fifth floor," adding, "However, given the very large size of the logistics center and the large amount of combustible material stored inside, it is expected to take considerable time to fully extinguish the fire."
Meanwhile, once the flames are fully brought under control, fire authorities plan to form a joint investigation team involving the National Fire Agency (NFA), the National Fire Research Institute, and the Korea Electrical Safety Corporation (KESCO) to determine the exact cause of the fire and assess the extent of the damage.



[email protected] Han Gap-su Reporter