National Fire Agency Issues Nationwide Fire Mobilization Order to Combat Gwangyang Wildfire

Yonhap News Agency

The National Fire Agency has issued a nationwide fire mobilization order to combat a wildfire that broke out in Okgok-myeon, Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province.

Effective from 8:00 p.m. on January 21, the nationwide fire mobilization order has led to the deployment of 25 specialized wildfire suppression vehicles from nearby regions, including North Jeolla, Gwangju, and South Gyeongsang. Additionally, seven disaster recovery support vehicles have been mobilized.

The nationwide fire mobilization order is issued by the head of the National Fire Agency when it is difficult to respond to disasters such as fires with the firefighting resources of a single province or city, or when national-level firefighting resources need to be dispatched to a disaster site.

At approximately 3:02 p.m. on the same day, a report was received that a fire that started at a house in Okgok-myeon, Gwangyang, was spreading toward the mountains due to strong winds.

The fire authorities issued Fire Response Level 1 at 3:48 p.m. and Fire Response Level 2 at 4:31 p.m., continuing wildfire suppression efforts. With sunset, they transitioned to nighttime suppression operations. As of 6:00 p.m. that day, the wildfire had affected an area of 28 hectares, with a fire line measuring 2.7 kilometers, of which 1.5 kilometers had been extinguished, resulting in a suppression rate of 56 percent.

Earlier, Minister of the Interior and Safety Yun Ho-jung instructed relevant agencies, including the Korea Forest Service, the National Fire Agency, South Jeolla Province, and Gwangyang City, to mobilize all available equipment and personnel swiftly and make every effort for early suppression. He also ordered the establishment of a local disaster and safety countermeasures headquarters, the evacuation of residents, and the proactive construction of firebreaks.