Wildfire damages 1,000 hectares in Juwangsan, affects 1,708 hectares in Jirisan area

On the 26th, a wildfire suppression helicopter is conducting firefighting operations to extinguish a wildfire that spread to Cheongsong in Cheongsong-eup, Cheongsong-gun, Gyeongbuk Province. Photo by Yonhap News

Due to the wildfire in the Yeongnam region, approximately 1,000 hectares (ha) of Juwangsan National Park were completely burned and damaged. It was confirmed that 1,708 ha of Jirisan National Park fell within the wildfire-affected area.

On the 26th, the Ministry of Environment announced that the damage area of Juwangsan National Park caused by the wildfire that started on the 21st in Uiseong, Gyeongbuk, is estimated to be 1,000 ha. Among the facilities within the park, one visitor support center and two simple restrooms were completely destroyed.

The Ministry of Environment explained that the wildfire-affected area of Juwangsan National Park is 15,185 ha, and the containment rate was about 75% as of 6 p.m. on the 25th. Regarding weather conditions, it was mentioned that strong southwest winds reaching up to 25 m/s are blowing.

The wildfire that spread from Sancheong, Gyeongnam to Jirisan National Park has reached about 1,708 ha. Although the containment rate is around 77%, the fire is still spreading. According to the Ministry of Environment, the wildfire first entered Jirisan National Park at around 1:55 p.m. on the same day and has now advanced within 200 meters inside the park boundary.

The wildfire at Juwangsan National Park is being fought with one high-performance firefighting vehicle, one water spraying vehicle, 12 wildfire firefighting vehicles, and 87 personnel. At Jirisan National Park, two wildfire firefighting vehicles and 48 personnel have been deployed.

The Korea National Park Service has closed 11 trails in Juwangsan and 26 trails in Jirisan. The endangered species restoration center in Yeongyang County, Gyeongsangbuk-do, relocated animals and plants in the opposite direction of the wildfire spread.

Kim Tae-o, Director of the Nature Conservation Bureau, emphasized, “We will mobilize all resources to prioritize preventing human casualties within the national parks and to minimize the spread and damage of the wildfire.”