Changwon Steel Mill Fire Extinguished After More Than 62 Hours; No Casualties

Firefighters are battling the blaze at a warehouse, directing streams of water toward it. [Photo provided by Changwon Fire Headquarters]

A fire that broke out on Oct. 10 in a warehouse at a steel mill in Seongsan-gu, Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, was finally extinguished more than 62 hours later.

According to the Changwon Fire Department, the fire broke out at around 6:55 p.m. on Oct. 10. The main flames were brought under control at around 11:17 p.m. on Oct. 12, and the fire was fully extinguished at around 9:23 a.m. on Oct. 13.

No casualties were reported.

As smoke and the smell of burning spread to nearby areas, including surrounding apartment complexes, fire authorities received 209 reports.

Fire authorities deployed 59 personnel and 22 pieces of equipment, including a recovery support vehicle, a high-capacity drainage pump and an explosion-proof, high-performance chemical fire engine, to battle the fire.

The warehouse, which had a conventional steel-frame structure, contained nearly 20,000 tons of scrap metal.

Firefighters struggled to extinguish the blaze because it had spread into the piles of scrap metal, and flames attached to the metal repeatedly spread to adjacent areas.

Fire authorities brought in heavy equipment, including excavators, cranes and grapple trucks, to pull the scrap metal outside, battling the fire around the clock.

Police and fire authorities are investigating the exact cause of the fire and the extent of the damage.

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