Fire at Coupang Inc warehouse enters second day as crews demolish parts of building

Fire authorities deployed excavators Sunday to demolish parts of a Coupang Inc warehouse in Incheon as they fought a blaze that had burned into its second day. The demolition was aimed at opening sections of the building to allow smoke to escape and water to be directed inside.

The Incheon Fire Department said Sunday afternoon it had sent two excavators and 18 firefighters into the ramp zone of Coupang Inc's Warehouse No. 32 in Seonam-dong, Seo-gu. Crews were tearing down part of the junction connecting the ramp zone to the sixth floor to create channels for smoke ventilation and external water application.

Authorities also used aerial ladder trucks and articulated vehicles to remove sections of the building's outer walls, opening additional pathways for ventilation and water access. Officials said they chose to partially open the building's structure after determining that spraying water from outside alone was insufficient to bring the fire under control.

Once the additional openings are secured, crews plan to assess internal heat and smoke conditions before deciding whether to send firefighters inside. A fire department official said the demolition work would allow smoke to vent more freely and create space to direct water from outside into the interior, adding that a decision on entry would be made after monitoring internal temperature and smoke levels.

The fire broke out on the sixth floor of the warehouse at around 6:54 a.m. Saturday. As of Sunday, 228 pieces of equipment and 721 personnel — including firefighters and police — had been deployed, with firefighting operations stretching past 30 hours.

The blaze started after the night shift had ended and before the day shift arrived, meaning few workers were inside at the time. All 121 employees in the building evacuated on their own, and no casualties have been reported.

The warehouse spans one below-ground floor and eight above-ground floors, with a total floor area of about 300,000 square meters and a workforce of 2,195. Firefighting has been hampered by large quantities of flammable materials stored inside — including cardboard boxes of household goods and plastic pallets — as well as a complex rack structure that makes access difficult.