Wildfire in Yeongcheon City and Yecheon County, Gyeongbuk... Ministry of the Interior and Safety Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters Chief Orders Emergency Suppression

A wildfire that broke out in Yeongcheon City and Yecheon County, Gyeongbuk, spread rapidly due to strong winds, prompting Kim Seong-ho, Director of the Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, to urgently order minimizing damage and evacuating residents.

At 5:45 PM, Director Kim held a situation assessment meeting and said, "Forestry authorities, fire departments, and local governments must quickly deploy available resources to minimize damage," adding, "Establish thorough firebreaks and ensure residents in areas at risk of fire damage evacuate in advance."

On the 28th, firefighters are conducting extinguishing operations at a fire of unknown cause that occurred in a hill in Waryong-ri, Pungyang-myeon, Yecheon-gun, Gyeongbuk.
[Photo by Gyeongbuk Fire Headquarters] [Image source=Yonhap News]

He also urged preparedness for nighttime wildfires. He stated, "Residents in homes near the spreading wildfire should evacuate proactively, and during nighttime firefighting efforts, please pay close attention to the safety of firefighting personnel to prevent casualties."

The wildfire in Yeongcheon City, which started around 2:17 PM, spread with the strong winds, leading to the issuance of Wildfire Response Level 1 at 3:50 PM. Regarding the wildfire in Yecheon County, which began at 3:46 PM, Wildfire Response Level 2 was issued as of 6:16 PM.