A large fire broke out at a waste processing plant in Gwangsan District, Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City, prompting an extended firefighting operation.
The fire started at about 9:34 a.m. on the 25th at the plant in Jijuk-dong, Gwangsan District, according to fire authorities.
Firefighters issued a Level 1 emergency response at about 10:53 a.m., one hour and 19 minutes after receiving the report. They deployed 51 pieces of equipment and 212 personnel but struggled to bring the blaze under control, completing initial containment only at about 6:38 p.m. — nine hours and four minutes after the fire was reported. The fire, which began in one of the five buildings on the site, spread to an adjacent building and repeatedly reignited as it caught on piles of stored waste.
Firefighters are working to extinguish the remaining embers. No casualties have been reported.
The Jeonnam-Gwangju city government sent an emergency text alert, urging residents near the site to move away from the area and asking drivers to take detours.
Fire authorities plan to investigate the cause of the fire and the extent of the damage once the remaining embers are extinguished.