Firefighters extinguishing a wildfire at night on a hill in Gacheon-myeon, Seongju-gun, Gyeongbuk [Photo by Gyeongbuk Fire Department]
[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] At around 12:41 PM on the 12th, a fire broke out in a mountain area in Gacheon-myeon, Seongju-gun, Gyeongbuk Province, and firefighting authorities are currently conducting extinguishing operations.
The current extinguishing rate is about 60%.
The firefighting authorities deployed 20 helicopters, 52 pieces of equipment, and 548 firefighters to combat the wildfire, but complete extinguishment has not yet been achieved.
As of 9 PM that day, the helicopters have withdrawn, and about 40 members of the 119 Wildfire Special Response Team are conducting nighttime firefighting using fire hoses and backpack pumps.
The fire, which started from a pile of wood halfway up the mountain, spread to the mountain, burning approximately 10 hectares so far.
One wildfire firefighter belonging to the Seongju County Office was injured in the leg and was transported to the hospital.
The authorities are monitoring the site using drones while focusing on preventing further spread.
The firefighting authorities estimate that the wildfire was caused by arson by visitors entering the mountain logging area, and plan to investigate the cause of the fire once the extinguishing operations are completed.
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