Fire at Hazardous Materials Warehouse in Pyeongtaek... Response Downgraded to Level 1 as Blaze Brought Under Control

1. Over 1.9 Million Liters of Flammable Chemicals Stored
2. 95 Units of Equipment and 238 Personnel Deployed
3. No Human Casualties Confirmed

A major fire broke out at a hazardous materials storage warehouse in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. The fire authorities issued the National Fire Mobilization Order and responded with full force until the main flames were brought under control. Although more than 1.9 million liters of flammable chemicals were stored inside, no human casualties have been reported so far.

On the 11th, a fire broke out at a hazardous materials storage warehouse in Tojin-ri, Cheongbuk-eup, Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi-do, where firefighters are conducting extinguishing operations. Photo by Yonhap News, 2026.8.11

According to the Gyeonggi Province Fire and Disaster Headquarters, as of 5:16 a.m. on August 11, the response level at the scene of the hazardous materials storage warehouse (a special logistics center) located in Tojin-ri, Cheongbuk-eup, Pyeongtaek-si, was downgraded from Level 2 to Level 1. No injuries or fatalities have been confirmed so far.

Earlier, fire authorities received a fire report at approximately 12:03 a.m. through the automatic fire alert system installed at the warehouse and dispatched crews to the scene.

Due to concerns that the fire could spread further, fire authorities declared Response Level 1 (requiring the mobilization of 31 to 50 vehicles) at 1:32 a.m., one hour and 20 minutes after the fire started. This was escalated to Response Level 2 (51 to 80 vehicles mobilized) at 2:40 a.m.

As the flames intensified, the National Fire Mobilization Order was issued at 3:39 a.m. As a result, a total of 26 fire engine units—including tankers and chemical fire trucks—from four neighboring regions (Chungnam, Sejong, Chungbuk, and Daejeon) were promptly deployed to assist.

The National Fire Mobilization Order is issued by the Commissioner of the National Fire Agency when resources from a single region are deemed insufficient to cope with a disaster such as a large-scale fire, or when mobilization of fire resources at the national level is considered necessary.

With support from other regional units, a total of 95 pieces of equipment and 238 personnel were deployed, and once the main fire was controlled, the alert level was lowered to Level 1. However, fire authorities are keeping the National Fire Mobilization Order in place as a precaution in case the flames reignite.

The site of the fire is a one-story building with a total floor area of 937 square meters, identified as a special logistics center storing approximately 1.91 million liters of over 100 types of Class 4 hazardous materials and general chemicals. Under the Hazardous Materials Safety Control Act, Class 4 hazardous materials are defined as flammable liquids, which include special flammable substances, Class 1 to 4 petroleum products, and alcohols.

The warehouse operator is known to have facilities for storing secondary battery materials and finished products, but it has not been confirmed whether any such substances were actually present inside at the time of the fire.

Upon breakout of the fire, Pyeongtaek City issued an emergency alert message advising nearby residents to keep their windows closed and refrain from going outside, and recommending that vehicles take alternative routes.

Fire authorities plan to investigate the exact cause of the fire once it is completely extinguished.

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