Uljin Wildfire Enters 7th Hour... Lee Sang-min, Minister of the Interior and Safety, "Rapid Deployment of Available Resources"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min instructed on the 28th regarding the wildfire that occurred in Uljin, Gyeongbuk, "The forestry authorities, fire departments, and local governments must swiftly deploy available resources and do their best to extinguish the wildfire early."

The minister urged, "For villages at risk of damage, establish firebreaks and ensure residents evacuate quickly." He also requested special attention to ensure the villagers do not experience inconvenience and thorough safety management for the firefighting personnel.

The wildfire that started around 12:06 PM in Haenggok-ri, Geunnam-myeon, Uljin-gun, Gyeongbuk, has been spreading for nearly seven hours due to strong winds exceeding 20 meters per second. The forestry authorities have deployed 30 helicopters and about 200 firefighting personnel to the site for extinguishing operations.

As of 4:30 PM, the Korea Forest Service has issued a Level 2 wildfire alert and is conducting firefighting efforts. A Level 2 wildfire alert has been issued on-site, and 100% of the available firefighting personnel from Uljin and surrounding areas have been mobilized.

The fire department has confirmed that a car repair shop, a temple, a design office, and containers near the site have been burned. However, no casualties have been reported so far, and major national facilities such as the Hanul Nuclear Power Plant are located more than 10 km away from the site. Additionally, there are no nationally important cultural properties near the area.

The fire department plans to deploy additional firefighting personnel after sunset to establish firebreaks and contain the spread as much as possible.

An eyewitness reported, "There was welding work near the ignition point." The Korea Forest Service and police plan to investigate the exact damage area and cause of the fire once the extinguishing operations are completed.