A fire broke out at the Coupang Logistics Center 32 in Seoknam-dong, Seo-gu, Incheon, at 6:54 a.m. on the 18th and was brought under initial control at 8:00 p.m. on the 20th, 61 hours later. [Photo = Yonhap News]

Massive fires at logistics centers—sprawling facilities the size of dozens of soccer fields filled with millions of combustible products—always leave deep scars on our society. Following the 2021 Deokpyeong Logistics Center fire in Icheon, a recent fire at the Coupang Logistics Center in Incheon has once again heightened social awareness regarding fire safety.

Despite various preventive measures and strengthened regulations following each fire, why do large-scale logistics facility fires continue to recur? I reflect on the questions raised while observing the sites and look for clues to the answers.

1. Recurring Large-Scale Fires: The Structural Limitations Faced by Facilities

According to comprehensive testimonies from fire safety experts and on-site workers, the spread of large-scale logistics center fires is driven by a complex interaction between the characteristics of combustible stored goods and the physical and environmental management limitations of modern large-scale buildings.

▲ Complex Facility Structure and Signal Transmission Variables

In vast spaces spanning tens of thousands of pyeong with multi-level racking structures, rapid detection and propagation at the onset of a fire are paramount. However, in existing wired infrastructures connecting extensive spaces, wiring routes become increasingly complex as the structure grows. Furthermore, there are environmental variables where communication and alarm systems can be compromised by unexpected physical damage or extreme heat.

▲ Practical Constraints of Maintenance

It is structurally difficult to perfectly inspect thousands of sensors and cables installed across a massive area. There are physical limits to identifying equipment conditions in real-time, especially when they are hidden behind walls or deep within high racks (steel shelf structures). The necessity for more sophisticated, constant monitoring systems has been consistently raised.

2. Fire-Safety Leading Nations Find Solutions in Wireless and IoT Technology

To compensate for these structural limitations of large facilities, leading nations in fire safety, such as those in the U.S. and Europe, have for years been enhancing fire safety efficiency through wireless and IoT-based systems for large logistics facilities and complex building structures.

▲ U.S. NFPA Standards and Field Application

In the U.S. fire safety market, wireless mesh network-based detection systems, which can compensate for concerns regarding physical wiring damage during a fire, are widely utilized by major companies such as Johnson Controls and Honeywell. By equipping each sensor with an independent power source and wireless communication capabilities, surrounding devices can organically exchange signals regardless of environmental changes in a specific zone, rapidly relaying fire indicators to the fire control room and the cloud.

▲ European Intelligent Wireless Trends

Advanced systems from companies like Eaton employ multi-frequency channel hopping technology to increase communication stability even in complex on-site environments. A key feature is that because physical wiring is unnecessary, it is possible to flexibly establish a seamless detection system even when building structures are modified or new storage zones are expanded.

3. The Time Has Come for a Diversification of Domestic Fire Safety Paradigms

The message conveyed by the Coupang Logistics Center fire is clear: we must look beyond traditional methods and expand the paradigm of fire safety infrastructure to suit the characteristics of modern buildings, which are becoming increasingly vast and complex.

Amid this global transition, a representative from Roze AI, a domestic company specializing in wireless fire safety, explained the effectiveness, industrial direction, and alternatives for wireless fire safety equipment in a recent interview:

“If we stick to traditional wired methods, the cost burden due to wiring burial and construction delays during replacement work in aging buildings or large facilities will inevitably increase exponentially. Wireless IoT fire detection systems innovatively reduce complex wiring processes while simultaneously providing constant automated inspections and rapid automated reporting functions using cutting-edge IoT technology.”

Furthermore, Roze AI stated that based on the technological prowess of its unique wireless IoT fire alarm system and AI fire prediction system, it is focusing its capabilities on global expansion, centered on Southeast Asian markets like Vietnam and North American bases. The expert suggests that the safety paradigm must shift from a focus on post-incident response to data-driven fire prevention.

It is urgent to expand the adoption of wireless fire safety equipment that reduces the constraints of wiring construction, operates flexibly even within fire environments, and diagnoses the status of each device in real-time through an IoT platform. To break the cycle of recurring major accidents, the fire safety industry and the National Fire Agency must work together to openly pool their wisdom and find realistic alternatives.

◆ Park Pil-gyu, Editorial Committee Member

Executive Director, Korea Wireless Fire Safety Industry Cooperative