Andong Wildfire Extinguished After Over 40 Hours... Area Lost Equivalent to 1,100 Soccer Fields

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] The wildfire that broke out in Andong, Gyeongbuk on the 24th was extinguished on the 26th after about 40 hours.

The Gyeongbuk Province and the Southern Regional Forest Service controlled the large flames around 2:30 PM that day and are conducting mop-up operations.

There were no casualties from the fire, but approximately 800 hectares of forest (estimated by Gyeongbuk Province) were burned. This area is about 1,100 times the size of a soccer field. Three houses near the fire site, as well as warehouses, livestock barns, and vinyl greenhouses, were also reported to have been damaged.

The fire started at 3:39 PM on the 24th in Pungcheon-myeon, Andong City, and seemed to have been extinguished after about 20 hours, but strong winds around 2 PM on the 25th caused it to reignite.

As the wildfire reignited, at around 5:30 AM on the 26th, 32 helicopters from the Forest Service, Ministry of National Defense, Fire Agency, and local governments, along with 3,881 firefighting personnel and 362 vehicles, were deployed to extinguish the fire.

As the wildfire approached nearby villages, 1,270 residents from 10 villages in Namhu-myeon, Andong City, evacuated to places such as the Youth Training Center, and all returned home once the fire was controlled.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.