A fire broke out around 2:10 a.m. on the 18th at a pig barn in Bulgap-myeon, Yeonggwang-gun, Jeollanam-do, spreading to a forest fire. / Photo by Korea Forest Service, Yonhap News Agency
[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Joo-eun Lee] Around 2:10 a.m. on the 18th, a fire that broke out at a pig barn in Saenggok-ri, Bulgap-myeon, Yeonggwang-gun, Jeollanam-do spread to a nearby mountain.
So far, there have been no reported casualties from the fire, but 8 out of 15 pig barns were completely destroyed, and it is estimated that about 18,000 pigs died.
Forestry and fire authorities responded after receiving reports from nearby village residents, issuing a Level 2 response, and conducted firefighting operations for both the barn fire and the forest fire. Eight forest firefighting helicopters were also urgently deployed.
About four hours after the fire started, around 6 a.m., the main fire was brought under control, and the response level was downgraded to Level 1.
Level 2 response involves mobilizing personnel and equipment from 5 to 6 nearby fire stations, while Level 1 response is an alert where all personnel from the jurisdictional fire station are dispatched.
The police, fire, and forestry authorities plan to investigate the exact cause of the fire and the extent of property damage as soon as the remaining embers are extinguished.
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