A large forest fire broke out in Sancheong-gun, Gyeongnam Province, and the forestry authorities are making every effort to respond, but the fire has not been extinguished.
A wildfire broke out on a mountain in Sicheon-myeon, Sancheong-gun. Photo by Gyeongnam Fire Headquarters.
According to the forestry authorities on the 21st, the fire started around 3:26 PM in a mountain area in Sincheon-ri, Sicheon-myeon, Sancheong-gun.
The forestry authorities deployed 20 helicopters, 71 vehicles, and 304 firefighting personnel to extinguish the fire, but as the wildfire spread, a 'Level 3 Forest Fire Alert' was issued at 6:40 PM. Level 3 is declared when strong winds exceeding 7 m/s are blowing, the expected damage area is over 100 hectares, and it is anticipated that firefighting will take more than 24 hours. This is the first Level 3 alert issued this year.
As a result of this fire, 160 residents from nearby villages were urgently evacuated to village halls and other safe locations. No casualties have been confirmed so far.
As of 9 PM, under dry weather conditions with wind speeds of 2.5 m/s and 20% humidity, the flames continue to spread. The total wildfire area is approximately 9.5 km, with 8.6 km still actively burning. The affected forest area is estimated to be about 120 hectares, and the containment rate is 10%.
In particular, as night fell, helicopter firefighting was suspended, increasing the difficulty of extinguishing the fire. The forestry authorities plan to deploy 27 helicopters at sunrise and aim to complete the main firefighting efforts by morning when the wind weakens. Once the firefighting is completed, an investigation into the cause of the fire and the extent of the damage will be conducted.
Choi Sang-mok, Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, issued an urgent order to do their best for early containment of the wildfire. Acting Prime Minister Choi instructed the Korea Forest Service to "mobilize all available equipment and personnel in cooperation with local governments, the National Fire Agency, the Ministry of National Defense, and others to do their utmost for early containment of the wildfire."
He also instructed the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to "work with the National Police Agency and local governments to quickly disseminate disaster information to nearby residents and to do their best in safety management, including controlling hikers."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
