Gyeongnam Province Issues Emergency Level 2 Alert for Hapcheon Wildfire Reignition

Fire Suppression, Rescue Operations, and Full Effort to Protect Firefighting Personnel Ordered

"Gyeongnam Province, together with Hapcheon County, must mobilize all administrative forces including fire and police to fully concentrate on fire suppression and rescue operations, and not neglect ensuring the safety of firefighting personnel."

On the afternoon of the 8th, Park Wan-su, Governor of Gyeongnam Province, issued an urgent directive regarding the wildfire suppression in Hapcheon.

Smoke is rising from a wildfire in the hills near Wolpyeong-ri, Yongju-myeon, Hapcheon-gun, Gyeongnam.
[Photo by Hapcheon County Office]

According to the forestry authorities, the wildfire broke out around 1:59 PM near Wolpyeong-ri, Yongju-myeon, Hapcheon County.

A total of 32 wildfire suppression helicopters from the province and the Korea Forest Service, firefighting equipment, and 357 firefighters including special suppression teams have been deployed to the site to control the main fire.

As of 3:30 PM, the flames are reported to be spreading toward Hapcheon-eup.

According to the province, Governor Park declared Level 2 emergency duty at the Provincial Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and ordered all provincial employees to be fully mobilized for firefighting operations and support for resident evacuation.

The province, in cooperation with Hapcheon County, evacuated about 100 residents from approximately 40 households near the site, including Saeteo, Angae, Jang-gye, and Gwanja villages in Hapcheon-eup, to village halls, senior centers, and health clinics.

If the flames approach nursing hospitals or facilities for the disabled, residents there are to be immediately relocated.

At the site, Choi Man-rim, Deputy Governor and head of the Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, is commanding the integrated wildfire response headquarters.

The province plans to operate the Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters until the fire is completely extinguished to ensure a thorough response.