Only 5% of Gimhae Wildfire Remains ... Park Wansu, Governor of Gyeongnam, Says "We Must Persevere Until the End and Extinguish It"

The wildfire in Hallim-myeon, Gimhae-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, now in its third day, was 95% contained as of noon on the 24th.

Provincial, forestry, and fire authorities in Gyeongsangnam-do worked overnight to raise the containment rate to 96%, but the rate dropped slightly due to continuous winds and dry weather conditions.

Wildfire site in Hallim-myeon, Gimhae-si, Gyeongnam Province. Video provided by Korea Forest Service.

At the scene, three firefighting helicopters, 429 personnel, and 52 firefighting vehicles were deployed at sunrise to focus on extinguishing the main fire.

The wildfire, believed to have started from trash burning, has so far affected an area of 97 hectares, with the total length of the fire line measured at 6 kilometers.

Of this, 5.7 kilometers have been extinguished, and efforts are underway to put out the remaining 0.3 kilometers.

Winds of up to 6 to 13 meters per second are blowing again today, with the temperature at 20.1 degrees Celsius and humidity at around 28%.

Fifteen households, totaling 23 residents from villages near Hallim-myeon, have evacuated to Sannajeon Village Hall, Hanajeon Village Hall, and other locations. No casualties have been reported so far.

Park Wansu, Governor of Gyeongnam Province (center), and Hong Taeyong, Mayor of Gimhae (second from left), are visiting the wildfire site in Hallim-myeon, Gimhae City, to inspect the firefighting situation. Provided by Gyeongnam Province

Park Wansu, the governor, visited the Gimhae wildfire site early in the morning and, together with Gimhae Mayor Hong Taeyong, inspected the firefighting situation and ordered an all-out response.

Governor Park emphasized, "All available resources must be mobilized to extinguish the wildfire," and added, "Completely block the fire line to prevent the flames from spreading to nearby villages and ensure there are no casualties among residents."

He continued, "Thoroughly manage the site to prevent the wildfire from reigniting, and I urge Gimhae-si to do its utmost to prevent future wildfires. When a fire breaks out, prioritize initial response and the prevention of casualties with the utmost diligence."

He also said, "Complete containment must be achieved to prevent the fire from reigniting due to strong winds," and advised, "Carefully deploy firefighting teams and vehicles according to weather conditions such as strong winds, and maintain firebreaks in areas close to residential or industrial zones to prevent the flames from approaching."

Governor Park stated, "Thanks to your hard work on-site, the safety of our residents is being protected," and encouraged, "Please keep up your efforts until the end."