사진 확대 Kang Yoon-jin, President of the Korea Fire and Fire Association
On July 18, a fire broke out at Coupang 32 Logistics Center in Seoknam-dong, Seohae-gu, Incheon. All 121 people were evacuated safely due to the small number of people on site due to the day and night shift, but it took 61 hours for the initial diagnosis even after the national fire mobilization order was issued. This is a record that exceeded 55 hours of initial diagnosis of the fire at the Deokpyeong Logistics Center in Icheon, where one firefighter died and the building was burned down in 2021.
Logistics warehouse fires are repeated with structural limitations and poor management. According to the National Fire Agency, 6,595 warehouse facility fires occurred between 2021 and 2025. Carelessness was the most common cause of ignition at 46.4%, and electrical factors also reached 27.0%. In particular, the proportion of electrical factors in 2025 was 29.3%, the highest in the last 10 years. Short circuiting, overheating, and poor contact of wiring and wiring mechanisms are the main causes. Large-scale loads and complex internal structures quickly grow even small embers into large fires.
Although the introduction of arc breakers is recommended to prevent electric fires, cost, malfunction, and reliability issues remain. Recently, arc detection sensors that detect abnormal signs before ignition by analyzing arc-specific wavelengths and heat generation information are attracting attention as an alternative. If it is connected to the blocking control device, the power of the abnormal circuit can be quickly cut off, and if the Internet of Things (IoT) control system is combined, it can select and manage dangerous facilities by remotely checking repeated abnormal signals. However, these technologies should work with basic safety management such as wiring inspection, replacement of old facilities, and overload prevention.
The fire safety performance standards for warehouse facilities implemented in 2024 do not apply retroactively to existing logistics warehouses. This fire facility was also not subject to the new standards because it received a building permit in 2020. However, the reinforcement should not be delayed due to the absence of the system. In particular, the mezzanine structure, which is a stacked rack, requires additional sensors and sprinkler heads to be installed at the bottom of each deck. Two-way evacuation stairs and dedicated evacuation passages should be secured, and the loading space between the racks should be sufficiently separated. It is also necessary to increase the visibility of evacuation guide lights and guide lines and manage not to stack items in the passage.
The problem of delayed operation of sprinklers also needs to be improved urgently. Many ready-operated facilities in existing warehouses require both sensors to operate to open the valve, and it takes time for water to reach through long pipes. In large space, this delay may contribute to missing the golden time of early evolution. Areas without the risk of freezing should be immediately replaced with waterproof wet facilities or a rapid opening method equivalent thereto.
Electric trucks and logistics robot charging areas are also new risk factors. It should be equipped with overcharge prevention, automatic power cut-off device, early detection facility, and automatic diffusion extinguishing device. Loading of goods around the fire protection shutter should be prohibited, and operating space under the shutter should be secured at all times. Furthermore, it is necessary to prepare a dedicated high-performance fire protection door and fire protection shutter standard that can withstand the high fire load and rapid heat generation of logistics warehouses.
Repeated large fires in logistics warehouses are no longer bad luck, but human resources caused by structural neglect. Investing in fire safety is not a cost, but a management strategy that protects a company’s survival and trust. It is time to strengthen prevention and early evolutionary capabilities before logistics efficiency and short-term benefits. Responsible investment is urgently needed.
[Kang Yunjin, president of the Korean Fire and Fire Association]