A fire broke out at a resource circulation facility in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province on Friday morning, prompting the activation of a level two response posture.

According to authorities, a level one response was issued 14 minutes after the blaze began at around 11:12 a.m., before elevating it to level two at 11:35 p.m. Currently, over 100 personnel and 47 apparatuses, including five helicopters, are fighting the flames.

Although no casualties have been reported, officials are taking extra safety measures with a chemical fire engine truck at the scene to prepare for a possible contingency as a waste oil refinery is also located on the site.

With smoke from the blaze spreading to nearby areas, traffic is blocked in both directions on a two-kilometer section of Seohaean Expressway near Hyangnam rest area, some 150 meters from the site of the incident, with motorists advised to take detours.

One fire official said it is expected to take some time to contain the flames due to large amounts of waste piled up at an open-air storage yard, adding that an investigation will begin as soon as the blaze is extinguished.