Attending a Wedding on His Day Off, Bundang Fire Station Lieutenant Prevents Major Fire with Keen Instinct

Lieutenant Kim Hongjung of Bundang Fire Station Rescues Citizens While Off Duty
Detects Burning Smell, Quickly Reports Fire and Leads Evacuation to Prevent Disaster

On February 22, during his day off, a firefighter’s sharp intuition and swift response at a friend’s wedding prevented a fire that could have escalated into a major disaster, drawing public attention.

Firefighter Hongjung Kim of Bundang Fire Station prevented a large-scale fire through prompt reporting and guiding the evacuation of people. Provided by Bundang Fire Station

The person at the center of this incident is Fire Lieutenant Kim Hongjung of the Bundang Fire Station in Gyeonggi Province.

On the afternoon of the 22nd, after attending a friend’s wedding in Myeonmok-dong, Jungnang-gu, Seoul, Lieutenant Kim was heading to a bus stop when he detected a faint smell of something burning near a crosswalk. Although it was a busy area with many people passing by—making it easy to overlook—the firefighter’s professional instincts made him pause and observe his surroundings.

Firefighter Kim Hongjung, Bundang Fire Station. Provided by Bundang Fire Station.

Following standard procedure to check all four sides of a building’s exterior during an emergency, Lieutenant Kim began inspecting the area and noticed gray smoke seeping through the upper gap of a basement entrance shutter of a nearby building, accompanied by the smell of burning. He tried to open the door but found it locked. When he touched the shutter to check its temperature, he sensed abnormal heat coming from inside.

Lieutenant Kim immediately called 119, providing detailed information about the fire’s location and the building’s structure. At the same time, he alerted nearby citizens to the fire and guided them to evacuate to a safe area. The fire brigade, responding to his call, arrived at the scene in about one minute, with the entire process from reporting to arrival taking less than four minutes.

The building in question was a mixed-use facility with one basement floor and six above-ground floors, housing both neighborhood businesses and residential units. If the fire had spread, it could have resulted in significant casualties. Thanks to Lieutenant Kim’s calm judgment and prompt initial response, including reporting the fire quickly, the situation was resolved without any injuries.

Notably, Lieutenant Kim accurately communicated the fire location and the situation to the firefighters upon their arrival, which greatly aided the initial firefighting efforts.

Lieutenant Kim Hongjung stated, "If even a small sign of fire is detected early and reported quickly, it can prevent a large-scale fire. As a firefighter, I will continue to do my utmost to protect the lives and safety of citizens in any situation."

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