Goseong Wildfire Main Fire Extinguished After 12 Hours (Comprehensive)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jong-gil] The main fire of the wildfire in Goseong, Gangwon Province was extinguished after 12 hours. Park Jong-ho, the head of the Korea Forest Service, announced at 8 a.m. on the 2nd, “The main fire has been extinguished, and we are now cleaning up the remaining embers.”

With the sunrise on the same day, the forestry authorities deployed 38 firefighting helicopters and 5,134 personnel to the wildfire site. The helicopters were dispatched sequentially from all over the country and divided into five groups to spray water. Among them were 18 helicopters from the Korea Forest Service (4 extra-large, 13 large, and 1 medium), 15 from the military units, 2 leased by the fire department, and 1 from the national park. Ground firefighting personnel also joined the efforts as daylight broke.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Director Park said, “The wind weakened somewhat at dawn. The aerial firefighting teams, special firefighting squads, and the fire trucks deployed by the Fire Agency on the front lines were effective in blocking the fire lines.” He added, “Wildfires in May tend to leave embers. The wind is also expected to strengthen somewhat in the afternoon,” and pledged, “We will do our best to complete the cleanup of the remaining embers by noon.”

Minister Jin Young of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said, “Many citizens must have been worried, but I thank the related agencies that worked overnight to enable residents to evacuate quickly and to extinguish the main fire.” He continued, “We will complete the cleanup of the remaining embers by noon to prevent re-ignition. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the central government will do their utmost to support the recovery efforts.”

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Goseong wildfire broke out at 8:04 p.m. on the 1st. The fire started in a residential area in Dowon-ri, Toseong-myeon, and spread to the nearby hills. It rapidly expanded, driven by typhoon-level strong winds known as ‘Yangganjipung.’ One house, one cowshed, and one boiler room were completely destroyed by the fire. Approximately 85 hectares of forest are estimated to have been lost. About 2,200 people, including 329 residents of Dowon-ri, Hakya-ri, and Unbong-ri, and 1,876 soldiers from the Army’s 22nd Division, evacuated to six locations such as Ayajin Elementary School and Cheonjin Elementary School. They stayed awake through the night, monitoring the firefighting situation. So far, no casualties have been reported.

Director Park urged, “The spring wildfire prevention period lasts until May 15. Please cooperate to prevent wildfires during the remaining period by refraining from carrying flammable materials when entering the mountains.”

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