All-Out Efforts to Contain Busan and South Jeolla Wildfires... Rapid Deployment of Available Resources

Containment Rate: 65% in Busan, 90% in South Jeolla Province
More Than 10 Helicopters Deployed for Suppression

Forest authorities are making every effort to contain the wildfires that began on January 21 in Gijang, Busan and Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province.

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, as of 6 a.m. on January 22, the wildfire in Gijang, Busan had affected an area of 11 hectares, and 18 resort guests were evacuated. Eleven helicopters and 340 personnel have been deployed, with the containment rate at approximately 65%.

Yonhap News Agency

Earlier, at around 7:45 p.m. the previous day, a fire broke out at a marble manufacturing plant in Gijang, spreading to a nearby hillside. Roads near the fire site, including the Yeonhwa Tunnel, Yeonhwa Overpass, and the road from Gijang County Office toward Ulsan, were either fully or partially closed.

Busan has been under a dry weather advisory for several weeks, and the ongoing severe cold is expected to make wildfire suppression efforts more challenging.

The wildfire in Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province, started at around 3:31 p.m. the previous day when a house fire spread to a nearby hillside. The house was completely destroyed by the fire.

The affected area is 48 hectares, with the containment rate reaching 90%. Twenty-six helicopters and 1,497 personnel have been mobilized.

In Gwangyang, a total of 601 residents from 338 households evacuated to locations such as the Okgok Township Office, Samjon Village Hall, and Jinsang Township Baekhak Cultural Welfare Center.

No casualties have been reported from either wildfire.