Miryang Wildfire’s Main Blaze Contained After 20 Hours ... No Casualties

A special firefighting unit member is suppressing the blaze at a wildfire site in Samnangjin-eup, Miryang, Gyeongnam. Provided by the Korea Forest Service

The wildfire that broke out at around 4:10 p.m. on the 23rd in Geomse-ri, Samnangjin-eup, Miryang-si, Gyeongnam, was brought under control after a 20-hour battle.

On the 24th at around 12:30 p.m., the Central Disaster Response Headquarters of the Korea Forest Service announced that it had completed suppression of the main fire in the Miryang wildfire.

For the firefighting operation, all available resources of wildfire-related agencies were fully mobilized, including the Korea Forest Service, Gyeongsangnam-do Province, and Miryang City, as well as the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Ministry of National Defense, the National Fire Agency, the National Police Agency, and the Korea Meteorological Administration. A total of 52 wildfire suppression helicopters, 318 firefighting equipment units, and a cumulative total of 1,511 firefighting personnel were deployed.

The wildfire impact zone, defined as the area expected to suffer damage from the fire, was estimated at 143 hectares, equivalent to the size of 200 soccer fields.

As the wildfire spread overnight, 156 people, including patients at a nearby nursing hospital and residents of three villages, evacuated to their homes, Samnangjin Elementary School, Dongyang Village Hall, and Baeyang Village Hall, but there were no human casualties.

A firefighter is spraying a water curtain to prevent a wildfire in Samnangjin-eup, Miryang-si, Gyeongnam, from spreading to a nearby nursing hospital. Provided by Gyeongnam Fire Headquarters.

Earlier, the forest authorities issued Wildfire Spread Response Level 1 at 5:20 p.m. on the 23rd, followed by Wildfire Spread Response Level 2 at 2:00 a.m. on the 24th.

In addition, as of midnight on the 24th, the unified command authority at the wildfire site was transferred from the Mayor of Miryang to the acting Commissioner of the Korea Forest Service.

The fire authorities issued Fire Response Level 1, which mobilizes all personnel of the competent fire station, at around 5:00 p.m. on the 23rd, and at 5:39 p.m. they issued a National Fire Mobilization Order.

Because the wildfire broke out just before sunset, the time during which helicopters could be deployed was limited, and immediately after the outbreak, the fire spread on dry air and strong winds, making suppression somewhat difficult.

After conducting overnight firefighting operations, the authorities redeployed helicopters at sunrise on the 24th to focus on bringing the main fire under control.

Then, as rain began to fall in the Samnangjin-eup area at 11:00 a.m. that day, the pace of firefighting accelerated, and they finally succeeded in suppressing the main fire.

The authorities plan to focus on mop-up operations and monitoring for residual fires, including locating and extinguishing embers hidden in fallen leaves, while simultaneously investigating the exact cause of the wildfire and the extent of the damage.