24-Hour Ember Patrol Team Deployed
Medical, Housing, and Daily Life Recovery as Top Priorities
Yeongdeok County, North Gyeongsang Province, announced that as of 2:30 PM on the 28th, with the main wildfire that had lasted for four days now under control, the county will immediately establish a system for damage assessment and support for victims, and proceed swiftly with recovery efforts.
The scene of the wildfire damage that reached Haean Village in Seokri, Yeongdeok-eup, Yeongdeok County. Provided by Yeongdeok County
This wildfire in the Yeongdeok area began when a fire that broke out in Uiseong County, North Gyeongsang Province, on the 22nd spread to Yeongdeok. It first entered the Jipum-myeon area of Yeongdeok County at 5:54 PM on the 25th, fueled by strong winds of 25 meters per second, and consumed 8,050 hectares over four days.
During this period, Yeongdeok County suffered significant damage, with nine fatalities and eight injuries, and an estimated 1,163 houses and 62 vehicles completely destroyed.
In response to the wildfire, the county activated the Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on the 25th and established an on-site command post on the 26th. Over three days until the main fire was suppressed, a total of 402 pieces of equipment, including helicopters and fire trucks, and 2,855 personnel were mobilized in an all-out firefighting effort.
The wildfire containment rate in Yeongdeok County stagnated in the 10% range as only 2mm of rain fell on the 27th, falling short of expectations. However, thanks to the combined efforts and resources of the Korea Forest Service and Yeongdeok County, the containment rate rose to 65% by 9:00 AM on the 28th, and the Korea Forest Service officially declared the main fire extinguished at 2:30 PM.
Even after the main fire was suppressed, the county plans to continue emergency wildfire response by operating a 24-hour patrol team to track down hidden embers and deploying night patrols in affected areas to preemptively prevent reignition.
Additionally, considering the ongoing dry weather advisory, the county will deploy drones equipped with high-performance thermal imaging cameras and specialized personnel to conduct scientific ember tracking and cleanup operations.
Yeongdeok County employees and wildfire suppression personnel are extinguishing smoldering fires. Photo by Yeongdeok County
While maintaining an emergency system to prevent wildfire recurrence, Yeongdeok County will also swiftly establish a recovery system for damage assessment and victim support, as the government declared the area a special disaster zone at 4:00 PM on the 27th.
Accordingly, Yeongdeok County will prioritize support for affected residents, focusing on medical, housing, and daily life recovery. The county is also working to accommodate evacuees in public or private lodging facilities, rather than temporary shelters, reflecting their preferences.
Kim Kwangyeol, the county governor, stated, "Thanks to the Korea Forest Service, fire and police officials who spared no effort, as well as the staff and civic organizations who steadfastly fulfilled their roles during the successive firefighting operations, we were able to bring the main fire under control despite adverse conditions. Having overcome a major hurdle, we will remain vigilant in eradicating remaining embers and dedicate all our resources and efforts to rapid damage assessment and support measures so that our residents do not suffer further."
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