Fire at Coupang logistics center in Incheon burns for over a day

Emergency crews are battling a massive fire at a Coupang logistics center in Incheon, South Korea, that has burned for more than 24 hours.

The incident highlights the extreme difficulty of suppressing blazes in modern distribution hubs, where high concentrations of flammable goods and poor ventilation can create uncontrollable heat traps.

The fire has been burning for more than 28 hours ^[1]. To combat the blaze, authorities deployed 28 special firefighting vehicles from across the country ^[1]. These units are conducting a combined ground and aerial operation to reach the seat of the fire and prevent further spread.

Experts say the architecture of such facilities complicates firefighting efforts. Lee Young-joo, a professor in the Department of Fire Protection at Kyungil University, said that logistics centers fundamentally contain many combustible materials. The specific facility in Incheon's Seohae-gu district has limited ventilation and few windows, which has led to an intense buildup of heat and smoke inside the structure ^[2].

Because the smoke cannot easily escape, firefighters have struggled to penetrate the building. The combination of aerial water drops and ground-based special equipment is being used to cool the structure, and extinguish the interior pockets of fire.

Firefighting authorities said they expect the initial extinguish of the blaze to occur around 11 p.m. local time on Sunday ^[2].

Coupang has not yet released a full statement on the cause of the ignition or the extent of the inventory loss. The operation remains focused on containment as crews work through the second day of the emergency.