Firefighters work to extinguish a blaze that broke out on the sixth floor of Coupang's No. 32 logistics center in Seoknam-dong, Seohaegu, Incheon, at around 6:54 a.m. Saturday. [Yonhap]
Firefighters work to extinguish a blaze that broke out on the sixth floor of Coupang's No. 32 logistics center in Seoknam-dong, Seohaegu, Incheon, at around 6:54 a.m. Saturday. [Yonhap]

The National Fire Agency issued a national fire mobilization order Saturday to combat a blaze at a Coupang Inc logistics center in Incheon.

The agency said it issued the order at 3:15 p.m. Saturday, mobilizing firefighting resources from across the country to suppress the warehouse fire.

Under the order, 21 additional pieces of firefighting equipment from five cities and provinces were dispatched. The reinforcements — drawn from Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, North Chungcheong Province, South Chungcheong Province and Gangwon Province — included four aerial ladder trucks, 13 water tankers, one unmanned firefighting robot and three recovery support vehicles.

The fire broke out at around 6:54 a.m. on the sixth floor of Coupang's No. 32 logistics center in Seoknam-dong, Seohaegu, Incheon. A total of 121 people, including warehouse employees, evacuated on their own, and no casualties have been reported.

Fire authorities issued a Level 1 alert at 9:15 a.m., mobilizing all personnel from the local fire station, then raised the alert to Level 2 at 12:25 p.m.

The escalation came after authorities determined that the building's large interior and high volume of combustible materials would make suppression a lengthy operation. A Level 2 alert triggers the deployment of personnel and equipment from five to six fire stations in and around the affected area.

The national fire mobilization order is issued by the National Fire Agency commissioner when a single city or province's firefighting capacity is deemed insufficient to handle a disaster, or when a national-level response is considered necessary.

"We will deploy every available firefighting resource to bring the fire under control as quickly as possible, while doing our utmost to ensure the safety of firefighters on the scene and prevent further damage," a National Fire Agency official said.


chami@heraldcorp.com