A fire destroyed six vinyl units at a residential and horticultural complex near Cheonggye Mountain in Seoul on Sunday [1].
The incident leaves several residents without shelter during a period of intense heat, compounding the hardship for those living in vulnerable, non-traditional housing structures.
Emergency crews responded to the scene around 9:20 p.m. [1]. The blaze destroyed three residential vinyl units and three horticultural vinyl units [1]. Firefighters battled the flames for approximately 5.5 hours before the site was fully extinguished [1].
Six people were evacuated from the vinyl greenhouse complex during the emergency [1]. Two individuals suffered burns as a result of the fire [1].
Witness Lee Jae-deok described the intensity of the blaze as it spread through the complex. He said he heard fire trucks and opened his door to see a pillar of fire rising 50 meters into the air with massive amounts of smoke.
Local authorities have not yet reported the exact cause of the ignition. The loss of these structures is particularly acute because the residential units served as primary homes for the displaced families [1].
“A pillar of fire rising 50 meters into the air”
This incident highlights the extreme vulnerability of residents living in vinyl greenhouse structures, which lack the fire-resistant materials found in standard housing. The combination of high-density flammable materials and a summer heat wave increases both the risk of ignition and the severity of the aftermath for displaced low-income populations in urban Seoul.
