Wooshin Golden Suites fire

The fire primarily spread up the combustible cladding in a U-shaped indentation in the building's exterior, reaching the top of the building within 20 minutes

Firefighters at the scene

A helicopter was used as part of the firefighting efforts

Aftermath

The Wooshin Golden Suites fire was a fire that occurred at an officetel in Marine City, Haeundae, Busan, South Korea on October 1, 2010. The fire started on the fourth floor, caused by a spark from an electrical outlet, and rapidly spread to the top of the building via external combustible cladding; five injuries were reported. ^{[1] [2]}

Fire

• The fire started around 11:34am on the 4th floor. ^{[3] [4]}
• A fire engine with a 52-metre ladder was launched, but firefighters could not control the fire because it spread so quickly.
• Within 20 minutes, the blaze had reached the 38th floor. ^[2]
• According to The Korea Times , the blaze was extinguished after 2.5 hours, after mobilising dozens of fire engines and a helicopter that dropped water on the building from above. ^[4] According to Nathan White and Michael Delichatsios, writing in Fire Hazards of Exterior Wall Assemblies Containing Combustible Components, the original 4th-floor fire was put out by 1 pm, with the entire building fire-free by 6.48 pm. ^[2]
• Some residents were evacuated by helicopter from the building's roof. ^[2]

Causes and background

• There was no sprinkler in the 4th-floor room where the fire started. ^[2]
• The reinforced glass in the windows hindered firefighters.
• The building featured flammable aluminium composite cladding with a polyethylene core, along with glass wool or polystyrene insulation; the fire rapidly spread up the facade, reaching the top of the tower within 20 minutes. ^{[5] [2]}
• The fire primarily spread up a vertical U-shaped indentation in the building's exterior, which created a chimney effect, possibly enhanced by wind blowing in from the sea. ^[2]

Casualties

• 4 residents and 1 fire fighter were injured.

See also

• 2017 Jecheon fire
• Miryang hospital fire
• Incheon Seil Electric Fire  [ ko ]
• Jongno Dormitory fire  [ ko ]
• 2020 Icheon fire
• Ulsan Samhwan Art Nouveau Fire  [ ko ]
• Marco Polo condo fire

References

1. 부산 해운대구 대형화재가 남긴 숙제는?] 아시아경제. 2010-10-02.
2. Nathan White; Michael Delichatsios (20 July 2015). Fire Hazards of Exterior Wall Assemblies Containing Combustible Components. Springer. pp. 37–39. ISBN   978-1-4939-2898-9.
3. "마린시티 내 황금빛 고급 주거 시설". 2 October 2010.
4. "Fire guts high-rise building in Busan". The Korea Times . 1 October 2010.
5. "High-rise apartments defenseless against fire". The Korea Times . 3 October 2010. Archived from the original on October 8, 2010. Retrieved 26 June 2017.