Heavy smoke comes out of a metal parts coating factory in Bucheon, Gyeonggi, on Oct. 16.BUCHEON FIRE STATION
Five firefighters were injured while battling a fire at a factory in Bucheon, Gyeonggi, on Friday morning, with one transported to a hospital while unresponsive.
The fire broke out at around 8:38 a.m. at a four-story metal parts coating factory in Nae-dong of Ojeong District, Bucheon, according to the Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters.
One person inside the factory was rescued by firefighters, while four others, including factory personnel, evacuated on their own.
Fire authorities received a report of a fire that started in a cleanroom on the third floor and issued the lowest Level 1 emergency response alert 19 minutes after the blaze broke out over concerns that the flames could spread. The alert was raised to Level 2 at around 9:09 a.m.
A Level 2 alert, the second highest in the three-tier system, mobilizes personnel and equipment from five to six nearby fire stations.
Fire authorities later lowered the response back to Level 1 at around 10:08 a.m. and brought the main blaze under control at around 10:22 a.m., about two hours after the fire broke out.
The National Fire Agency in Sejong as seen on Nov. 25, 2022.YONHAP
The factory reportedly contained Class 4 hazardous materials, which are flammable liquids. The Bucheon city government issued an emergency text alert notifying residents of the fire and urging them to avoid going outside.
“Please refrain from going outside due to heavy smoke,” the city government said in the alert.
Fire authorities deployed 102 firefighters and 51 pieces of equipment to battle the blaze. They plan to investigate the exact cause of the fire and assess the extent of the damage once it is extinguished.
President Lee Jae Myung was briefed on the fire and instructed relevant agencies, including the National Fire Agency and the National Police Agency, to make every effort to extinguish the blaze and rescue those affected.
Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said Lee had called for a thorough response to prevent further damage, given the large amount of flammable materials inside the factory. Lee also emphasized the need to ensure firefighters' safety during the operation and urged authorities to devote particular attention to protecting emergency responders.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
