Major fire at Pyeongtaek hazardous materials site triggers national mobilization

A major fire erupted at a hazardous materials storage facility in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, prompting a national fire mobilization order. The blaze began around 12:03 AM on Tuesday at a logistics center storing approximately 1.91 million liters of hazardous substances, including alcohols and petroleum products.

The scale of the fire and the presence of vast quantities of flammable materials led the Gyeonggi Provincial Fire and Disaster Headquarters to escalate the response. Initially, a Level 1 response was declared, but as flames erupted from the building's exterior, it was upgraded to Level 2. Firefighters were instructed to maintain a safe distance and use long-range water cannons to combat the fire.

Concerns about the fire spreading led to the issuance of a national fire mobilization order at 3:39 AM. This brought in resources from neighboring provinces, including Chungnam and Daejeon, with a total of 102 pieces of equipment and 255 personnel deployed to the scene. Efforts focused on establishing a defensive line to prevent the fire from engulfing nearby warehouses and facilities.

By 5:16 AM, the fire was brought under control, and the response level was lowered back to Level 1. The fire spread to two of the facility's seven buildings but was contained. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries or fatalities. The exact cause of the fire and the extent of the damage are under investigation.