Kumho Tire Gwangju Factory Fire Completely Extinguished After Three Days

More Than 1,000 Cases of Resident Damage Reported

The fire that broke out at the Kumho Tire Gwangju Factory, one of the major industrial sites in Gwangju, was completely extinguished after three days.

On the morning of the 20th, debris cleanup work is being carried out to demolish the building that caught fire at Kumho Tire Gwangju Factory in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju. Photo by Yonhap News

The fire authorities announced that firefighting efforts were completed at 11:50 a.m. on May 20. The blaze lasted for a total of 76 hours and 39 minutes, continuing for more than three days, and was a large-scale fire that even prompted the issuance of a national firefighting mobilization order.

The main fire was brought under control at around 2:50 p.m. on the second day of the incident, May 18. However, efforts to extinguish remaining flames were hampered by more than 200 combustible clusters inside the factory. With the completion of firefighting operations, command of the site was transferred to the head of Gwangsan-gu District Office in Gwangju, and the fire department shifted to a system focused on preventing reignition and ensuring safety management.

There were three direct casualties resulting from this fire. One Kumho Tire employee suffered a fracture while evacuating, became trapped, and was later rescued. Two firefighters sustained injuries, including burns, during the firefighting process. Facility damage was also extensive. Of the two factory zones, 50 to 65 percent of the western second factory was burned. This area is responsible for core tire production processes such as refining, semi-finished product processing, and molding. Recovery is expected to take several months.

The damage also spread to local residents. As of the morning of May 20, a total of 1,236 cases of resident damage had been reported to Gwangsan-gu, with 603 cases (48.8 percent) involving human impacts such as headaches, vomiting, and dizziness. The Gwangju city government and city council have requested the central government to designate the area as a special disaster zone and an employment crisis area.

Fire authorities and related agencies have tentatively concluded that sparks from an industrial electric oven used in the refining process were the main cause of the fire, and are currently investigating the exact point of ignition.

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