Firefighter Preventing Fire Caught Smoking at Gas Station

Jurisdictional Fire Station Asks, "Should We Be the Ones to Check?"
As Controversy Grows, Fire Headquarters Rushes to Extinguish
Smoking at Gas Stations Could Easily Lead to Major Fires

A firefighter, who should be preventing fires, was instead caught smoking a cigarette at a gas station. In response, the local fire department explained, "The person smoking at the gas station is indeed a firefighter, but not one of our staff," while also questioning, "Why should we verify if they are our staff?" which further fueled the controversy. On the 31st, MBN reported a video showing a firefighter smoking at a gas station in Imsil, Jeonbuk.

A firefighter, who should be preventing fires, was instead caught smoking a cigarette at a gas station.
[Photo by MBN]

Gas stations are places where invisible fine oil droplets, known as vapor, float in the air, and the use of fire is strictly prohibited because a fire could cause extensive damage. Especially during the summer when the video was recorded, rising temperatures increase the amount of gasoline vapor, raising the risk of fire and explosion accidents. Moreover, directly beneath where the firefighter was smoking was a fuel storage tank.

A gas station employee explained the situation at the time: "Two firefighters came from the Imsil Fire Station, but it wasn’t an inspection. One of them went to the restroom, and I was surprised to see him smoking." The local fire department clarified, "The person smoking at the gas station is a firefighter, but not one of our employees." They did not conduct any internal investigation or disciplinary action.

A firefighter, who should be preventing fires, was instead caught smoking at a gas station.
[Photo by MBN]

When the media asked whether the firefighter was confirmed to be an Imsil Fire Station employee, they received a baffling response: "Why should we verify? Do we need to confirm just because a firefighter smoked?" As the controversy grew, the Jeonbuk Fire Headquarters rushed to contain the situation. The headquarters apologized to the public, saying, "We are sorry for causing concern," and promised, "We will strengthen education to prevent such incidents from recurring."

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