Desperate measures: A firefighting helicopter helping to put out a blaze, a day after a wildfire broke out in Sancheong, South Gyeongsang Province. — The Korea Herald
Wildfires that broke out over the weekend across southern parts of South Korea left 10 casualties and over 1,500 residents evacuated from their homes, according to authorities.
The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters said the blaze, which started in Sancheong, South Gyeongsang Province, on Friday, had claimed four lives and injured another six as of Sunday morning. All of the victims were from the Sancheong area.
Meanwhile, a major fire in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang Province, continued for a second day, with fire officials reporting a containment rate of just 30% as of 11am on Sunday.
The affected area spans about 3,510ha, with only 20.4km of the total 68km fire line fully extinguished.
Authorities said progress had been hampered by strong winds, dry conditions and thick smoke, which limited aerial firefighting operations.
“Winds have calmed slightly compared to yesterday, so we’re accelerating the firefighting effort with helicopters focusing on areas with less smoke,” a North Gyeongsang official said at a press briefing.
The wildfires have caused major property losses.
In Sancheong, 10 homes were destroyed. In Uiseong, 24 homes were completely burnt and five others sustained partial damage.
Forest damage across all affected regions – including Uiseong, Sancheong, Ulsan’s Ulju District and Gimhae – is estimated at over 3,280ha, roughly the size of 4,600 soccer fields.
On Sunday, wildfire spread in Ulju again, forcing over 790 residents in the five neighbourhoods to evacuate. Adding to residents already taken to the shelter, a total of 867 people were forced to leave their homes.
By 4pm on Sunday, the wildfire had continued for over 27 hours. Fire authorities issued a Level 3 wildfire alert and deployed 12 helicopters and over 2,330 personnel to extinguish the blaze.
A total of more than 2,300 people have been evacuated: 951 from Uiseong, 335 from Sancheong, 867 from Ulju and 148 from Gimhae.
In Uiseong, residents from 32 villages were relocated to 15 evacuation centres. Patients from two nursing hospitals and one care facility were also evacuated.
The Korea Forest Service declared a Level 3 wildfire emergency alert on Saturday nearly three hours after the first report of a fire on a hill in Uiseong.
Level 3 fire alerts are issued when a fire is expected to burn 100 to 3,000ha amid high winds, with containment requiring between 24 to 48 hours.
Sixteen wildfires broke out nationwide on Friday alone, a situation officials say was intensified by unseasonably high temperatures and dry winds.
“With hot, dry conditions and strong winds, we face a high risk of large-scale wildfires,” said Lee Yong-kwon, director of forest disaster management at the Korea Forest Service.
“We will continue close cooperation with local governments, firefighters, the military and other agencies to protect both forests and lives.” — The Korea Herald/ANN
