Two Firefighters Die After Being Trapped in Wando Cold Storage Fire
- Doyoung Lim
- Apr 13
- 1 min read
Apr 13, 2026
Doyoung Lim
A massive fire broke out in a cold storage warehouse in Wando Sunday, leaving two firefighters found dead during the rescue operations, according to the authorities. The fire started at around 8:25 a.m. at a fisheries processing company’s warehouse in the county of Wando, South Jeolla Province, prompting authorities to mobilize more than 100 firefighters.
The fire was extinguished at around 11:25 a.m.; however, during the suppression process, two firefighters became trapped inside the warehouse. According to the authorities, the blaze is believed to have started while workers were using a torch to remove paint from the building as part of the work.
Oil mist, guessed to have been floating on the ceiling, exploded. The two firefighters were unable to escape after entering the building to extinguish remaining flames after the initial operation. Overall, 102 fire apparatuses and 34 firefighters were deployed to the field to search for missing people, including two firefighters, Lee Min-seok, chief of the Wando Fire Station.
Additionally, Lee emphasized that they rushed the most dangerous scene to protect the lives and safety of the people and fulfilled their duties to the very end of their duty. People truly bow to contribute to their courage and dedication. Also, he mentioned that the government takes the incident seriously and will make an effort to ensure a safer environment for firefighters.
