Two firefighters died in a fire at a cold storage warehouse in Wando County, South Jeolla Province, on Sunday. The blaze is believed to have started during floor renovation work using a torch and intensified during residual fire suppression. President Lee Jae-myung offered condolences to the families.
A fire broke out at around 8:25 a.m. on Sunday at a fisheries processing company's cold storage warehouse in Wando County, South Jeolla Province. Authorities mobilized more than 100 firefighters, extinguishing the blaze after about three hours, according to the Wando Fire Station.
The two firefighters became trapped inside after reentering to extinguish residual flames following the initial operation and were later found dead. Wando Fire Station Chief Lee Min-seok said at a press briefing, "Oil mist presumed to have been floating near the ceiling exploded." He added, "The operations chief ordered seven firefighters to evacuate after spotting black smoke and flames via radio communication, but two were unable to exit."
Fire authorities believe the blaze started while workers used a torch to remove paint during floor-leveling and repaving work. Investigators suspect highly flammable epoxy flooring contributed to the rapid spread, compounded by sandwich panels in the structure that hampered firefighting efforts. A fishery company official inhaled smoke and was hospitalized but is not in life-threatening condition.
President Lee Jae-myung was briefed on the incident and instructed fire authorities to mobilize all available resources for firefighting and rescue operations, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a written briefing. In a post on social media platform X, Lee extended condolences to the deceased firefighters, aged 44 and 30, and their families. "They rushed to the most dangerous scene to protect the lives and safety of the people, and fulfilled their duties to the very end," Lee wrote. "I bow my head in tribute to their courage and dedication." The government said it takes the incident seriously and will work to ensure a safer environment for firefighters.
