Military: “Main Firefighting Operation Aimed for Tomorrow Morning”
At around 3:26 p.m. on the 21st, a fire broke out on a mountain in Sicheon-myeon, Sancheong-gun, South Gyeongsang Province, and authorities are currently working to extinguish it.
As the wildfire spread, authorities issued a "Wildfire Level 3" alert at around 6:40 p.m. Level 3 is declared when strong winds of over 7 meters per second are blowing, the expected damage area exceeds 100 hectares, and it is anticipated that extinguishing the fire will take more than 24 hours.
According to Sancheong-gun, 115 residents from the nearby Jeomdong and Gukdong villages have evacuated due to the wildfire. No casualties have been reported so far.
As night fell, all 20 helicopters involved in the firefighting operation withdrew, and 94 pieces of equipment, including fire trucks, along with 539 personnel, are being deployed to contain the fire.
The forestry authorities have established a defensive line between the nearby villages and the mountain to prevent the fire from spreading to residential areas.
However, strong winds at the site of the wildfire are reportedly making firefighting efforts difficult.
An official from the Korea Forest Service stated, "Our goal is to complete the main firefighting operation by tomorrow morning when the winds and air currents are weaker, and we plan to deploy 27 helicopters at sunrise," adding, "We will do our best to minimize casualties and property damage from this wildfire."
As the wildfire spread, Park Wansu, Governor of South Gyeongsang Province, visited the integrated wildfire command center at the Sancheong Pumped Storage Power Plant to take charge of on-site command and is overseeing wildfire response efforts in cooperation with related agencies.
Governor Park said, "Protecting the lives and property of our residents is the top priority," adding, "Above all, we will mobilize all available resources to respond quickly and prevent any casualties."
Choi Sangmok, Acting President and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, issued an emergency directive to the Korea Forest Service, saying, "Work closely with local governments, the National Fire Agency, and the Ministry of National Defense to mobilize all available equipment and personnel for the early extinguishment of the wildfire."
He also emphasized, "As the wildfire is spreading rapidly, make every effort to ensure the safe evacuation of residents and prevent casualties," adding, "Since helicopters cannot be deployed after sunset, focus on ground-based firefighting while keeping the safety of personnel in mind, and thoroughly prepare to deploy helicopters as soon as the sun rises."
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