Hapcheon Wildfire 35% Contained... Triple Challenges of Dry Air, Wind, and Darkness

A wildfire that broke out in a nearby mountain in Yongju-myeon, Hapcheon-gun, Gyeongnam Province, at around 1:59 PM on the 8th has been 35% contained as of 7 PM.

According to fire and forestry authorities, as of the same time, the area affected by the wildfire, including damage from smoke and ash, is 139 hectares, with about 4 km of active fire lines remaining.

At the site, 693 personnel including firefighters and special firefighting teams are working with 27 wildfire suppression helicopters, 11 fire trucks, and 33 firefighting equipment units to extinguish the fire that started at an altitude of 450 meters.

A fire has broken out in a nearby mountain in Yongju-myeon, Hapcheon-gun, Gyeongnam, with smoke rising.
[Photo by Hapcheon-gun Office]

Since a dry weather advisory was issued for the Hapcheon area on the 24th of last month, and with winds exceeding 12 m/s on this day spreading embers, firefighting efforts have been challenging.

Fire and forestry authorities announced that helicopters were withdrawn around 6:30 PM, just after sunset, and nighttime firefighting operations have commenced.

Thermal imaging drones and high-performance firefighting vehicles have been deployed, with 677 personnel assigned around the fire lines and 166 personnel around nearby villages.

Firefighting helicopters will be redeployed at sunrise to accelerate containment efforts.

The Korea Forest Service expects the wind to subside to about 2-3 m/s by dawn on the 9th, and although actual weather conditions may vary, if no major changes occur, they anticipate the main fire will be controlled by the afternoon of the 9th.