Miryang 'Forest Fire Level 3' Emergency... Korea Forest Service Chief "Aiming to Complete Extinguishing Today" (Comprehensive)

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] Nam Seong-hyun, the head of the Korea Forest Service, stated on the morning of the 31st at Chunhwa-ri, Bubuk-myeon, Miryang-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, where a wildfire occurred, "We will mobilize all available resources to complete the containment of the Miryang wildfire by the end of today."

Nam, the head of the Forest Service, held a wildfire containment briefing at the on-site command center in Chunhwa-ri, Bubuk-myeon, Miryang-si, Gyeongnam, in the afternoon of the same day.

Nam said, "Although there is a risk of the fire spreading if gusts of wind blow, there are many rivers and reservoirs nearby, so it is highly likely that the main fire will be extinguished before sunset," adding, "We have planned for nighttime operations and will finish containment by tomorrow morning at the latest."

Nam stated, "The dry weather, which led to the issuance of a warning, appears to be the cause," and added, "Wildfires at the end of May are characterized by more smoke than flames because leaves are sprouting from the trees."

The wildfire in Bubuk-myeon, Miryang-si, started around 9:25 a.m. on the mountainside. The fire spread with the wind, and smoke and the smell of burning were observed as far as Gimhae-si, adjacent to Miryang-si. The Korea Forest Service issued a 'Level 3 Wildfire Alert' at 11:45 a.m.

The Korea Forest Service, firefighting authorities, Gyeongnam Province, and Miryang City deployed about 1,500 personnel for containment and increased the number of helicopters to 42. The Korea Forest Service initially estimated the wildfire damage area to be 150 hectares.