Hamyang Macheon-myeon Wildfire Rages for Third Day ... Containment Rate at 58%

Wildfire site in Macheon-myeon, Hamyang-gun, Gyeongnam. Photo by the Korea Forest Service

The wildfire that broke out at around 9:14 p.m. on the 21st in Changwon-ri, Macheon-myeon, Hamyang County, South Gyeongsang Province, spread further in strong winds despite overnight firefighting efforts, causing the containment rate to plunge.

The Central Disaster Headquarters of the Korea Forest Service redeployed dozens of helicopters that had been withdrawn overnight at sunrise on the 23rd to focus on bringing the main fire under control.

A total of 51 helicopters, 119 firefighting vehicles, and 754 firefighting personnel have been mobilized at the scene to battle the blaze from the air and on the ground.

However, the firefighting operation is facing difficulties because the area consists of steep slopes and, at one point, was hit by strong winds of up to 8.5 meters per second.

According to the Korea Forest Service, as of 8 a.m. on the 23rd, the containment rate had dropped to 32 percent, but by 10 a.m. it had risen to 58 percent.

The wildfire-affected area has expanded from 226 hectares to 232 hectares, and the total fire line has grown from 7.85 kilometers to 8.0 kilometers, of which 4.6 kilometers have been contained.

One vinyl greenhouse was completely destroyed by the fire, but 164 residents of nearby villages evacuated to facilities such as the Eoullim Gymnasium in Yurim-myeon, and no human casualties have been reported so far.

The Level 1 wildfire response, which was issued at 4 a.m. the previous day, was upgraded to Level 2 as of 10:30 p.m. on the 22nd.

At around 11:14 p.m. on the same day, the National Fire Agency also issued a nationwide mobilization order for firefighting resources.

South Gyeongsang Province is continuing to provide personnel and equipment support for firefighting, while also ordering that firefighters be deployed to the scene only after wearing safety gear and receiving prior safety training.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters of the Korea Forest Service and the South Gyeongsang Provincial Government stated, "To ensure that the wildfire can be brought under control at an early stage, we will mobilize all available personnel and equipment and respond with full force until the main fire is extinguished, and we will conduct the operation safely by taking into account the fatigue levels of helicopter pilots and ground firefighting crews."