A Big, Smoky Mess: The Kumho Tire Inferno in Gwangju, South Korea
Gwangju Plant Blaze, Explained
Factory fire halts production at Kumho Tire facility in Gwangju
A sigh of smoke and fire, barely a weekend away
Situated around 270 kilometers south of Seoul, in Sochon-dong, Gwangsan District, Gwangju, the Kumho Tire plant erupted in a blazing inferno on a Saturday morning, May 17th, 2025, at approximately 7:11 a.m. [Sources: 2, 4, 5]
Eruption Origins
The spark igniting this fiery scene is believed to have originated from equipment used for heating raw rubber [Source: 4].
Impact and Injuries
The fire's immediate aftermath left one employee and two firefighters injured. Among them, the employee suffered a spinal fracture and a head injury following a fall from the third floor during the evacuation [Source: 5].
Damage and Production
About 80% of Plant No. 2, crucial for producing original equipment (OE) tires for vehicles from Hyundai and Kia, was engulfed by the fire [Sources: 1, 2]. As a result, Kumho Tire has put a halt on production at this facility, the oldest among its domestic plants, causing significant setbacks to the company's tire production [Sources: 1, 4].
With the plant idled, Kumho Tire projects daily losses amounting to approximately 825 million won [Source: 1].
Firefighting and Extinguishment
Though the main fire was brought under control after approximately 32 hours, the blaze was reported to be about 80-85% contained as of the latest updates [Sources: 2, 3]. Over 460 personnel and 170 pieces of equipment were mobilized in the emergency response [Source: 4].
Firefighters initially anticipated that it would require at least three days to completely douse the fire due to the plant's sandwich panel structure and the abundance of combustible materials [Source: 5].
Future Prospects
The uncertainty looms as to when operations will resume at the plant, pivotal for Kumho Tire's production capacity [Source: 1].
The manufacturing industry in Gwangju, South Korea, faced a significant setback due to a fire at the Kumho Tire plant, with the incident affecting the finance sector as well. The company projected daily losses of approximately 825 million won, as the fire engulfed 80% of Plant No. 2, a crucial facility for producing original equipment (OE) tires. The fire's origin was traced back to equipment used for heating raw rubber, leading to injuries among employees and firefighters. General news outlets reported on the ongoing attempts to extinguish the fire, with it being contained to 80-85% as of the latest updates, despite initial predictions of a three-day effort due to the plant's structure and the abundance of combustible materials.
