A large fire swept through several sections of Guryong Village in Seoulโs Gangnam district on Tuesday afternoon, forcing residents from their homes as strong winds carried the flames across the settlement. The fire began at about 3:50 p.m. in Section 2 and spread through Sections 1 and 3 toward the area near Section 7, according to reports from local authorities and fire officials.
Firefighters issued a first-stage response shortly before 4 p.m. and raised it to the second stage at 4:29 p.m. as the blaze grew rapidly. Authorities deployed 168 personnel, 51 vehicles and six firefighting helicopters. President Lee Jae Myung instructed officials to mobilize all available resources for rescue operations and public safety while also protecting firefighters working at the scene.
- Fire reported
- About 3:50 p.m. on October 27
- Peak response
- Second-stage emergency response
- Resources deployed
- 168 personnel, 51 vehicles and six helicopters
- Housing impact
- 77 households and 107 residents
Wind and limited water hindered suppression
Strong winds accelerated the spread of the flames, while a shortage of water for firefighting complicated suppression efforts. Crews established boundaries around individual sections and concentrated on preventing the fire from reaching additional residential areas or advancing toward Guryong Mountain. The combination of shifting fire fronts and limited water access prolonged the operation into the night.
By 10:05 p.m., firefighters had brought enough of the blaze under control to lower the emergency response from the second stage to the first. Gangnam Fire Station said the main flames were under control at about 11:15 p.m., seven hours after the initial dispatch, and crews then began extinguishing remaining pockets of fire. Full suppression had not yet been declared in the latest reports.
Gangnam district authorities estimated that 77 households comprising 107 people sustained housing damage. Thirty-nine residents were initially reported to have evacuated on their own. The district opened gymnasiums at Gaepo Middle School and Guryong Middle School as temporary shelters and arranged hotel accommodation for residents who requested it. Later figures showed that 24 households, or 33 people, were staying at Gaepo Middle School, while five people had moved to a nearby hotel.
Shelter needs continue after the main blaze
Reports on minor injuries differed as the response continued. One account said a man in his 20s injured his ankle and received emergency treatment at the scene, while a later report identified a woman in her 30s from Section 7 who suffered a minor leg injury and was taken to a hospital. No major loss of life had been confirmed, and firefighters were using residentsโ contact information to verify that everyone had evacuated safely.
The falling response level indicated that the fire was no longer expanding at the pace seen during the first hours, but the operation remained active. Crews had to continue checking damaged sections for residual flames that could reignite, particularly after strong winds had already carried fire through several parts of the village. Residents displaced by the blaze faced an immediate need for shelter while authorities assessed which homes remained usable.
The cause of the fire had not been determined. Fire officials said a joint inspection with relevant agencies would take place after complete extinguishment. The next official updates are expected to clarify the final injury count, the full extent of housing damage, the number of residents requiring longer-term accommodation and the findings of the investigation into how the fire began.