"False 'Fire' Report and Profanities: Firefighters Mourn Twice After Losing Colleagues"

Despite an urgent report claiming that "the house is on fire," a fleet of fire trucks and police cars rushed to the scene, only to discover not a raging blaze, but an absurd false call made by a habitual drunk.

Just five days after losing two colleagues to a deadly fire and still deeply traumatized, the firefighters hung their heads in despair as they faced a rampaging intoxicated person mocking their dedication.

On the 17th, when firefighters and police arrived at the fire report scene, there was no flame but only a heavily intoxicated caller staggering around. Photo by Joong-kyung Lee

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◆Fire trucks raced through the darkness… only the smell of alcohol filled the air at the scene

According to Wando Fire Station and the police in South Jeolla Province on April 17, an urgent 119 emergency call was received at 8:13 p.m. that day from an LH apartment in Wando-eup, Wando-gun, reporting "the house is on fire and the door won't open." A fire in a sealed apartment complex could easily turn into a major disaster. The fire authorities immediately dispatched five vehicles, including fire trucks and ambulances, as well as two police patrol cars.

It had been only five days since they lost their colleagues, and even the sound of a dispatch bell made their hearts sink during this brutal period, but the firefighters pressed the accelerator, racing against time to the scene. However, what greeted them at the apartment entrance, where they had rushed with the determination to prevent another tragedy, was completely unexpected.

There was not a trace of fire-only the overwhelming stench of alcohol hung in the air. The firefighters, wearing heavy protective gear and readying their equipment to charge in, were stopped in their tracks by the caller, Mr. A, who was staggering at the entrance.

He was known for causing habitual drunken disturbances and, in his intoxicated state, was casually talking on his cell phone with someone. Showing not even a hint of remorse toward the firefighters inspecting the scene, he even complained and shouted profanities while speaking to an acquaintance on the phone, saying, "There are too many fire trucks, it's so noisy I can't stand it."

His irritated grumbling, echoing down the previously tense entryway, was enough to tear at the hearts of the responding firefighters. Although these are professionals hardened by life-and-death situations, in that moment, a profound sense of despair, much deeper than simple frustration, weighed heavily on the entire scene.

As the deep frustration showed on the backs of the firefighters who made a false alarm, the police sent the severely intoxicated person, who was unconscious, home. Photo by Lee Jungkyung

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◆Tears not yet dry before the portrait… public outrage at 'drunken antics'

The deep sense of loss among the firefighters lingered because the aftermath of the Wando seafood processing factory fire on April 12 had not yet faded. The shock and grief from losing two fellow firefighters, who had bravely rushed into the raging flames only to return as cold bodies, was still fresh.

Their tears, shed in front of the memorial portraits of these devoted heroes-a father of three and a groom-to-be just five months away from his wedding-had not even dried. Witnessing this absurd incident, local residents could not contain their anger either.

One resident, who came outside after hearing the commotion, expressed outrage. "The entire community is in deep sorrow after losing two firefighters, and even if someone is drunk, how can a person do such a thing? People like that should be isolated from society, immediately arrested, and punished severely," the resident insisted.

The police escorted Mr. A, who was heavily intoxicated and incapable of normal function, back to his home and plan to investigate the exact circumstances of the false report once he sobers up. As the precious resources of the fire service are wasted on someone's drunken antics, and even the firefighters’ noble, life-risking missions are dismissed as bothersome noise, the bitter reality grows heavier on the shoulders of those who remain.

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