TIRE FACTORY FIRE RATTLES RESIDENTS

[Anchor Lead]

Towering flames and black smoke left secondary damage to surrounding areas of the factory. Residents and people working in the nearby area were rattled by the spreading flames all night.

[Pkg]

Towering flames and black smoke are clearly visible between the apartment buildings. The quickly spreading fire threatens to engulf some two thousand homes of the nearby apartment complex. Flames dozens of meters tall spread even to the rail tracks right next to the plant. Embers carried by the strong winds fell about 200 meters from the fire, forcing some apartment residents to evacuate or spend sleepless nights.

[Soundbite] (Apartment Security Guard) : "I put out the small fires in the flower bed caused by the embers before helping the residents to evacuate."

Firefighters stood ready at a nearby gas station in case the roaring flames spread to the vicinity.

[Soundbite] Roh Su-wan(Gas Station Employee) : "I was warned to be careful and the firefighters also stood guard here for a bit. (In case the fire spread to the gas station?) Yes."

Adjacent convenience stores and shopping malls suffered extensive damage from the smoke. Soot covered the merchandise and shelves as well as employees' masks and fingers.

[Soundbite] Pyo Ye-rim(Convenience Store Employee) : "The smoke came in from outside and left black soot on the products and my body."

Throughout the night, the huge fire at the Hankook Tire factory rattled people living and working in the area.