Eight Agencies Including National Fire Agency Launch Joint Investigation Team to Determine Cause of Incheon Logistics Center Fire

Central Joint Fire Investigation Team of 30 Launched
Detailed On-Site Inspections Focused on Electrical Facilities and Stored Goods
Proactive Use for Institutional Reforms and Technical Improvements

The National Fire Agency announced on the 21st that it will operate a "Central Joint Fire Investigation Team" to determine the cause and assess the extent of the damage from the fire at the Coupang 32 Logistics Center in Seoknam-dong, Seohae-gu, Incheon.

On the 20th, for the third consecutive day, firefighters are extinguishing the fire at the Coupang 32 Logistics Center in Seohae-gu, Incheon. The fire broke out on the 6th floor of this logistics center at 6:54 a.m. on the 18th and has been burning for over 50 hours. July 20, 2026 Photo by Kang Jinhyung

This joint investigation team consists of a total of about 30 members from eight organizations, including the National Fire Agency, the National Fire Research Institute, fire appraisal agencies from Seoul and Gyeonggi, the Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Korea Electrical Safety Corporation, Korea Agency for Technology and Standards, and the Incheon Fire Headquarters and Fire Station.

To ensure expertise and objectivity, the team includes PhD engineers from the private sector as well as university professors specializing in fire and safety. They plan to conduct on-site inspections and scientific analyses to comprehensively investigate the cause of ignition, damage pathways, and structural vulnerabilities.

The fire is believed to have started (cause unknown) on the sixth floor of the logistics center on the 18th. When firefighting units arrived on-site, black smoke was seen billowing outside, prompting a concentrated firefighting response.

The National Fire Agency, the National Fire Research Institute, and related fire appraisal agencies in Seoul and Gyeonggi plan to carry out precise on-site inspections and fire re-enactment experiments, focusing on logistics equipment, electrical facilities, and stored goods on the sixth floor, which is presumed to be the point of origin.

In addition, the investigation team intends to conduct a comprehensive analysis of both human and material damages from the fire, as well as the possibility of hazardous substance leakage and other secondary damages. The results will be used to inform future institutional reforms and technical improvements.

Joo Youngguk, Director of the 119 Response Division at the National Fire Agency, stated, "This investigation will be used as basic data for policies to prevent similar large-scale fires and to enhance the safety of logistics facilities," and added, "The findings will be widely shared with relevant ministries, local governments, and the private sector to serve as the basis for establishing effective safety measures."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.