Fires Break Out Two Weeks Apart
Authorities Suspect Accidental Ignition by Hikers
Authorities are investigating the cause of two wildfires that broke out two weeks apart near the hiking trail of Jesaksan in Nam-gu, Gwangju.
According to the Gwangju Nambu Fire Station and Nam-gu district office on the 26th, a fire occurred at around 3:02 a.m. near the Jesaksan Cloud Bridge. A resident of a nearby apartment complex reported the incident to the fire authorities after seeing smoke and flames rising.
The fire department deployed 83 personnel, including wildfire response teams and firefighters, along with 15 pieces of equipment, and extinguished the fire in 44 minutes. The fire burned 0.3 hectares of forest, but there were no casualties or property damage.
Previously, at around 9:41 p.m. on the 13th, a fire also broke out in the area of 122-1, Bongseon-dong, Nam-gu. The site of that fire was near the Jesaksan Cloud Bridge, about 500 meters from the location of the most recent fire, along the hiking trail. Fifty-nine responders used backpack pumps containing 20 liters of firefighting water to quickly control the flames, fully extinguishing the fire in about 20 minutes. The fire at that time burned or scorched 0.01 hectares of forest.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the fires, which occurred two weeks apart. Both incidents began late at night in remote areas of the mountain with no facilities, leading authorities to suspect accidental fires caused by hikers rather than natural ignition.
An official from Nam-gu stated, "There are several hiking trails and no witnesses, so determining the cause will likely take some time," adding, "We are placing more weight on the possibility of accidental fires caused by hikers rather than natural ignition."
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