Brave Initial Response of a Firefighter Off-Duty Minimizes Damage from Vehicle Fire on Seongsan Bridge

A firefighter returning home on his day off successfully extinguished a vehicle fire on Seongsan Bridge, preventing additional damage.

On the 7th, the Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters reported, "There was a case where a firefighter returning home on his day off witnessed a vehicle fire at the northern end of Seongsan Bridge and successfully extinguished it with a fire extinguisher, preventing further damage."

The hero of the story is Kim Jeong-hyun (29), a firefighting officer from the Seodaemun Fire Station in Seoul.

While returning home on his day off on April 28 at 8:16 PM, Officer Kim witnessed a fire erupting from the cargo compartment of a truck that was parked on the road at the northern end of Seongsan Bridge.

He immediately parked his car behind the truck and took action to extinguish the fire using the fire extinguisher available in his vehicle.

A representative from the Mapo Fire Station, who responded to the scene at the time, stated, "Thanks to Officer Kim's swift initial response, aside from some soot on the cargo compartment and a few cardboard boxes being burnt, there was no additional damage."

In his sixth year as a firefighter, Officer Kim expressed, "I believe that as a firefighter, whether on duty or off duty, one must respond immediately to any dangerous situation."

He added modestly, "I’m just glad I happened to find the scene and was able to take action; I was just fulfilling my responsibilities as a firefighter."

Image source: Fire vehicle photo / Seoul City, Seodaemun Fire Station Officer Kim Jeong-hyun (29) / Seoul City