Wando Factory Fire: Did Torch Use During Paint Removal Spark the Blaze?

At around 8:25 a.m. on the 12th, two firefighters died while entering the interior of a frozen warehouse at a seafood processing company in Gunoe-myeon, Wando-gun, Jeollanam-do, due to a fire. The photo shows firefighters watching over their colleague being finally loaded into an ambulance. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The fire at a seafood processing factory in Wando-gun, Jeonnam, which resulted in the deaths of two firefighters during firefighting efforts, is presumed to have spread while a torch was being used during paint removal work at the factory.

According to the Jeonnam Fire Headquarters and Wando-gun Office, a report was received at around 8:25 a.m. on April 12 that a fire had broken out in the frozen warehouse of a seafood processing factory.

The factory is a building nearly 20 years old, completed in 2009, and was reportedly undergoing floor leveling and repackaging work just before the fire occurred.

During this process, a factory official told the fire authorities that the fire started while using a torch to remove paint from the building. It is presumed that the presence of epoxy, which is vulnerable to fire, on the floor may have contributed to the rapid spread of the flames.

Furthermore, it is known that the building included some sandwich panels, which made firefighting efforts more difficult.

A fire department official said, "The cause of the fire and the details of the accident are still under investigation."

The fire authorities plan to investigate the exact cause of the fire and the circumstances of the accident.

Meanwhile, two firefighters who responded to the fire on April 12 entered the building to extinguish the flames, became isolated inside, and were later found dead.

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