Choi Sang-mok, Acting President and Deputy Prime Minister as well as Minister of Strategy and Finance, instructed on the 22nd regarding the wildfire that occurred in Uiseong-gun, Gyeongbuk, "The Korea Forest Service should cooperate with local governments, the National Fire Agency, the Ministry of National Defense, and mobilize all available equipment and personnel to do their best for early containment."
According to the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, Acting President Choi said, "Since the wildfire is rapidly spreading due to strong winds, please ensure thorough evacuation of residents to prevent casualties," and added, "Mobilize all available resources to focus on extinguishing the fire before sunset, and also ensure the safety of firefighting personnel." He also requested thorough preparation of firefighting personnel and equipment in case the fire continues into the night.
Acting President Choi also asked the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to cooperate with the National Police Agency and local governments to quickly disseminate disaster information to nearby residents and to do their best in safety management such as controlling hikers.
At around 11:24 a.m. that day, a fire broke out near the summit of a mountain in Gwaesan-ri, Anpyeong-myeon, Uiseong-gun, Gyeongbuk. The forestry authorities are currently extinguishing the fire. The authorities declared a level 3 alert at around 2:10 p.m. and are working on containment. A level 3 wildfire alert is issued when the estimated damage area is between 100 and 3,000 hectares, strong winds of 11 m/s or more are blowing, and the firefighting time is expected to be less than 24 to 48 hours. Currently, 27 firefighting helicopters, 36 vehicles, and 375 personnel have been deployed to the site.
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