The wildfire in Sicheon-myeon, Sancheong-gun, Gyeongnam spread to Witaeri, Okjong-myeon, Hadong-gun. Provided by Korea Forest Service
On the sixth day of the large-scale wildfire in Sancheong, Gyeongnam, on the 26th, the fire finally reached Jirisan National Park.
According to the Forest Service and the Gyeongnam Office of Jirisan National Park, the fire crossed the ridge of Gugoksan around 10 a.m. and spread beyond the boundary of Jirisan National Park at about 12:30 p.m. that day.
Although helicopters, firefighting personnel, and equipment established firebreaks to prevent the wildfire from spreading, the flames grew larger, carried by the wind.
The wildfire in Sicheon-myeon, Sancheong County, started at around 3:26 p.m. on the 21st and spread to Hadong, including Okjong-myeon, and to the slopes of Jirisan.
As of noon that day, the containment rate was 75%, and the affected area was about 1,005 hectares in Sancheong and 694 hectares in Hadong, totaling approximately 1,702 hectares. The total fire line was 64 km, with about 16 km of active flames remaining.
At the scene, all available firefighting resources were mobilized, including 30 helicopters, 1,909 personnel, and 235 vehicles, battling the blaze fueled by winds of 2 to 4 meters per second and dry weather conditions.
A total of 1,732 residents from nearby villages?353 households (498 people) in Sancheong County, 584 households (1,070 people) in Hadong County, and 88 households (164 people) in Jinju?evacuated to 20 locations including Danseong Middle School, Okjong Elementary School, and Jinseo High School.
The fire destroyed 16 homes, 2 factories, 2 religious facilities, and a total of 64 facilities. There were 13 casualties, including 4 firefighters who died in the line of duty, 8 people with burns or other injuries, and 1 person with bruises.
Damages within the national park are currently being assessed.
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