A major fire broke out at a hazardous materials storage warehouse located in Cheongbuk-eup, Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi-do, prompting the National Fire Agency to issue a national fire mobilization order and deploy firefighting forces from across the country.

■ Incident Overview... Fire Breaks Out at Warehouse Storing Approximately 1.91 Million Liters of Flammable Substances This fire started in a single-story warehouse with a total floor area of 937 square meters. It was determined that the warehouse was storing approximately 1.91 million liters of various chemical substances, including flammable liquids. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported so far.

■ Timeline... Step-by-Step Escalation and Mobilization Order After Report The National Fire Agency received the report at 12:03 a.m. on the 11th through an automatic fire alarm system. As smoke, explosions, and flames erupted at the scene, Response Phase 1 was issued at 1:32 a.m., and as concerns about the spread of combustion grew, it was escalated to Response Phase 2 at 2:40 a.m. Subsequently, at 3:39 a.m., the first national fire mobilization order was issued to adjacent cities and provinces, including Daejeon, Sejong, Chungbuk, and Chungnam. At around 5:20 a.m., the main fire was brought under control and the response phase was downgraded back to Phase 1, but with a large amount of flammable materials remaining, the national fire mobilization order has been maintained as full-scale efforts continue until complete extinguishment.

■ Deployed Resources... 95 Equipment Units and 238 Personnel, Specialized Equipment Mobilized Under the national fire mobilization order, 26 additional equipment units were deployed, including 11 water tanker trucks, 11 chemical trucks, and 4 recovery support vehicles. Specialized equipment from the Central 119 Rescue Headquarters, including a large-capacity foam discharge system, an unmanned destruction water cannon vehicle, and a high-performance chemical truck, were also mobilized to the scene. To date, a total of 95 equipment units and 238 personnel have been participating in the firefighting operations.

■ Status of Hazardous Materials... Approximately 100 Types of Class 4 Hazardous Materials Stored The warehouse was a single-story general steel-frame building, and approximately 100 types of Class 4 hazardous materials (special flammable materials, Class 1-4 petroleum products, alcohol类, animal and plant oils, etc.) were stored inside. Class 4 hazardous materials are mainly flammable liquids that emit combustible vapors, making the risk of fire spread extremely high in environments where large quantities of flammable materials are densely packed.

■ Resident Safety Measures... Disaster Alerts Sent and Vehicle Detours Recommended Pyeongtaek City sent disaster alert messages to nearby residents, advising them to keep their windows closed and refrain from going outside. Vehicles passing through the area around the fire scene were advised to take detours.

Fire authorities are managing the situation in real time and are also working with emergency rescue support organizations, such as the Regional Environmental Office, to prevent the leakage of contaminants.

■ Authorities' Directives... Full Mobilization for Search and Rescue, Scene Control, and Secondary Damage Prevention Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Ho-jung instructed related agencies, including the National Fire Agency, local governments, and the Korean National Police Agency, to mobilize all available personnel and equipment to do their utmost in suppressing the fire and conducting search and rescue operations. He requested that the police take every precaution in controlling the perimeter around the fire scene, and asked local governments to swiftly implement safety briefings for nearby residents and businesses and measures to prevent secondary damage such as the spread of smoke.

Choi Yong-cheol, Acting Commissioner of the National Fire Agency, emphasized that the safety of frontline personnel should be the top priority, and that all firefighting forces and specialized equipment should be utilized to prevent the spread of combustion and achieve early suppression.

The National Fire Agency plans to continue reinforcing firefighting forces depending on the situation on the ground and to work with related agencies to ensure all possible efforts are made to suppress the fire.