Firefighters, police, National Forensic Service officials and Korea Electrical Safety Corporation representatives conduct an on-site inspection to determine the cause of a factory fire in Bucheon, Gyeonggi, on Oct. 17. YONHAPThe factory fire in Bucheon that left one firefighter dead and seven others injured likely occurred after a flammable vapor in a cleaning product caught fire, authorities said on Saturday.
A joint team of firefighters and police, along with officials from the National Forensic Service (NFS) and representatives of the Korea Electrical Safety Corporation, conducted an on-site inspection on Saturday to determine the cause of the fire.
Investigators found that, at the time of the incident, workers were using paint thinner to clean metal parts.
They suspect that toluene, a flammable ingredient in paint thinner, emitted vapors that ignited from a spark caused by electrical discharge or friction.
The cleaning room on the third floor of the factory — where the fire seemingly originated — reportedly lacked safety equipment, including explosion-prevention facilities, according to officials.
The joint inspection team also found tens of containers of thinner, some open, about 1 to 2 meters (3.3 to 6.6 feet) from the suspected point of origin. Authorities also believe that the hundreds of paint cans stored at the site contributed to the fire’s rapid spread.
A joint team of firefighters and police investigates the factory where a fire broke out in Bucheon, Gyeonggi, on Oct. 17. NEWS1The joint investigation team plans to request the NFS to conduct a detailed analysis of the cleaning solution remaining in the factory’s cleaning room.
The team also plans to identify the flammable substances found at the scene, including petroleum products classified as hazardous materials, and investigate possible legal violations involving the factory’s storage and management.
The factory had reportedly not obtained a permit to handle hazardous materials and had not installed any sprinklers, as its 362-square-meter (3,896.5-square-foot) area fell below the threshold requiring such installation.
The fire broke out at a metal injection molding and printing factory in Nae-dong, Ojeong District, Bucheon, at around 8:38 a.m. on Friday. Authorities fully extinguished the blaze at approximately 11:06 a.m., or about two hours and 28 minutes later.
The fire left eight people dead or injured. Fire lieutenant Kim Jin-seok, who was part of one of the first units to arrive at the site, died on Saturday. Another firefighter suffered serious injuries, and four others experienced heat exhaustion. Two factory employees were taken to hospitals for smoke inhalation.
The fire came three days after Gyeonggi Gov. Choo Mi-ae’s controversial remarks about the fire service.
Gyeonggi Gov. Choo Mi-ae, center, answers questions from reporters on Oct. 17 after visiting the funeral hall of fire lieutenant Kim Jin-seok, who was killed by a factory fire in Bucheon, Gyeonggi. NEWS1“The fire service seems like the biggest, most troublesome financial drain,” she said on Tuesday during a parliamentary audit of the Gyeonggi provincial government.
On Saturday, she visited Kim’s funeral hall and met with the bereaved family.
She apologized for her previously describing the fire service as a “financial drain” and added that she had “absolutely no intention of disparaging firefighters.”
“The bereaved family asked me whether the loss of a precious life should be the end of this incident,” Choo said. “Rather than simply demanding unconditional dedication from firefighters, I will focus on administrative measures to improve conditions.”