Difficulties in Containment Due to Strong Winds... Nighttime Firefighting Operations Deployed
Fire Authorities Issue Response Levels 1 to 3, Followed by Mobilization Order
No Casualties Reported, but Support for Recovery and Psychological Counseling Provided
The forest fire that broke out at Hamjisan in Bukgu, Daegu has been brought under control after two days. The fire, which was difficult to contain due to strong winds and threatened large residential complexes, was finally stopped from causing further damage thanks to nighttime firefighting operations.
On April 29, fire authorities officially declared the main fire at Hamjisan in Nogokdong, Bukgu, extinguished as of 1:00 PM. The affected area of the forest fire was 260 hectares, equivalent to 364 soccer fields. The scale of the damage may increase depending on the results of future investigations.
A forest fire that broke out around 2:01 PM on the 28th at Hamjisan in Nogokdong, Bukgu, Daegu, is spreading to nearby residential areas in Joyadong. Photo by Yonhap News
The fire started around 2:00 PM on the 28th on the ninth ridge of Hamjisan and spread rapidly. Authorities issued forest fire response levels 1, 2, and 3 in succession and deployed a large number of firefighting helicopters, vehicles, and personnel. Level 3 is the highest response level issued by forestry authorities, and is declared when the expected affected area is at least 100 hectares, the average wind speed exceeds 11 meters per second, or the expected extinguishing time is more than 48 hours.
At around 4:05 PM, a national fire mobilization order was also issued. The Commissioner of the National Fire Agency may issue a mobilization order when it is considered difficult to respond to a disaster such as a fire with the firefighting resources of a particular city or province, or when it is deemed necessary to mobilize firefighting resources at the national level to the disaster site.
The main challenge was the strong winds. A dry weather warning was in effect throughout Daegu, and the maximum instantaneous wind speed reached 15 meters per second, making firefighting efforts difficult. However, during the night, two Surion helicopters capable of nighttime flight, 1,515 personnel including the special wildfire disaster response team, and 398 pieces of equipment including 15 high-performance wildfire firefighting vehicles were deployed to establish a foundation for extinguishing the fire.
As a result, as of 8:00 AM that day, the containment rate of the forest fire had reached 82%. There were no confirmed casualties. The National Fire Agency and others evacuated 661 residents out of 6,500 people from 3,514 households in Nogok, Joyadong, Seobyeon, and Guam-dong to five schools, including Paldal, Maechon, Yeongyeong, and Dongpyeong Elementary Schools, and Dongbyeon Middle School. In cooperation with public health centers, the National Fire Agency also evacuated 61 residents from care facilities such as Siloam Nursing Home, Jeonghyang Silver Town, Dongseobyeon Silver Town, and Daegu Nursing Home.
At 2:01 PM on the 28th, a forest fire broke out at Hamjisan in Nogokdong, Bukgu, Daegu, and firefighters are extinguishing the fire spreading around residential areas. Photo by Yonhap News
However, since entry to Hamjisan had been prohibited under Daegu City's "Forest Fire Prevention Administrative Order" since April 1, an investigation is inevitable. The special judicial police of the Bukgu Parks and Greenery Department, which is in charge of the forest fire investigation, decided to request a police investigation for the swift apprehension of the person responsible for the fire. Currently, it is known that only a small number of residents used the farm road for purposes such as cultivating vegetable gardens. Anyone who causes a fire during the period of the administrative order is subject to aggravated punishment.
Daegu City plans to set up an integrated support center under the Disaster and Safety Division to accurately tally the damage and provide support for recovery and psychological counseling. In addition, since the destruction of the forest raises concerns about flooding during the rainy season, the city will continue with emergency forest restoration and related work. Measures are also being prepared to prevent water pollution caused by ash from the forest fire.
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