A fire at the Seokpo Refinery in Bonghwa, Gyeongbuk, was extinguished in just over an hour.
According to Yonhap News and local fire and environmental authorities, the fire broke out at 12:36 p.m. on July 9 at the air pollution control facility of the sulfuric acid manufacturing plant within the Seokpo Refinery.
Upon receiving the report, authorities issued a Level 1 response at 12:43 p.m., deploying all personnel from the local fire station along with over 60 firefighters and 34 fire trucks and equipment to the scene. The main fire was extinguished by 1:55 p.m., approximately one hour and 19 minutes after it started.
So far, authorities have determined that two air pollution control facilities were damaged in the fire, and it may take some time before the plant can resume operations.
Authorities stated, "As of now, there have been no reported injuries," and they plan to investigate the exact cause of the fire and the extent of the damage.
The affected facility is part of the first plant at the refinery, which processes sulfur extracted as a byproduct during the zinc refining process into sulfuric acid.
In a statement to Yonhap, Youngpoong, the operating company of the Seokpo Refinery, clarified that the fire occurred in an air pollution control facility unrelated to the sulfuric acid production process, assuring that there is no risk of hazardous material leakage. They added, "It seems a evacuation message was sent out as a precaution, but this incident is not of that severity," noting that the facility is designed to remove steam, so no dangerous substances would be released.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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