Cleanup of Smoldering Fire Continues at Coupang Logistics Center in Incheon... Fire Response Level Lowered to Stage 1

[Financial News, Incheon = Reporter Han Gap-soo] The blaze at the Coupang logistics center in Incheon has been brought under control, prompting fire authorities to lower their response level. After completing the initial extinguishing effort, firefighters are withdrawing some support crews from nearby cities and provinces and focusing on cleanup of remaining hot spots.
According to the Incheon Fire Headquarters on the 21st, fire authorities lowered the response level from Stage 2 to Stage 1 at 1:57 p.m. at the Coupang logistics center fire site in Seoknam-dong, Seo-gu, Incheon. The move came after officials determined that the risk of the fire spreading had fallen sharply. Stage 1 means all personnel from the local fire station are mobilized, while Stage 2 brings in crews and equipment from five to six nearby fire stations.
Earlier in the day, at 9:40 a.m., fire authorities also partially lifted the national fire mobilization order. As a result, 24 pieces of equipment, including aerial ladders and articulated trucks dispatched from Sejong City, Gangwon Province, North Chungcheong Province, and South Chungcheong Province, returned to their home agencies. However, equipment from Seoul (6 units), southern Gyeonggi Province (9 units), Northern Gyeonggi Province (6 units), and the Central Rescue Headquarters (9 units) remained at the scene to support cleanup efforts.
Firefighters are continuing water-spraying operations, focusing on the ramp section up to the sixth floor, which was confirmed to have no structural issues in a safety inspection conducted the previous day.
The fire broke out at around 6:54 a.m. on the 18th and was initially extinguished at around 8:00 p.m. on the 20th, 61 hours later. Fire authorities and police plan to begin a forensic investigation once the fire is fully extinguished to determine the exact cause and the scale of property damage.
Fires at logistics centers often take a long time to fully extinguish because combustible materials accumulate deep inside large structures. During the 2021 fire at Coupang's Icheon Deokpyeong logistics center, it took several days after the initial extinguishing effort just to clear remaining hot spots and conduct search operations inside the building. At the Incheon logistics center, the sandwich panel structure and the large amount of stored goods are also expected to delay the declaration of full extinguishment and the start of a joint forensic investigation.

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