‘18-Hour Battle’ Korea Forest Service Completes Wildfire Suppression in Jeongseon, Gangwon

On the 20th, at the wildfire suppression site in Jeongseon, Gangwon, members of the Forest Aerial Firefighting Team and the Special Wildfire Suppression Team were having a late meal of gimbap around 3 a.m. These members are mainly deployed to steep and rugged mountainous areas, playing a leading role in controlling large flames. Provided by the Korea Forest Service

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] The wildfire in Jeongseon, Gangwon Province was extinguished 18 hours after it started.

The Central Wildfire Control Headquarters of the Korea Forest Service announced on the 21st at 9:40 a.m. that the wildfire in Jeongseon, Gangwon Province has been fully extinguished.

According to the headquarters, the wildfire broke out around 3:50 p.m. the previous day on Nochusan Mountain in Gujeol-ri, Yeoryang-myeon, Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon Province.

At the site, 14 helicopters (8 from the Korea Forest Service, 1 from local governments, 4 from the fire department, and 1 from the Air Force) and 421 ground personnel (21 from the aerial firefighting team, 115 from the special wildfire suppression team, 102 from the wildfire prevention and suppression team, 40 firefighters, 42 volunteer firefighters, and 16 police officers) were deployed to carry out firefighting operations for 18 hours.

The Korea Forest Service estimates that 12 hectares of forest were lost due to the wildfire. However, they emphasized that with the support and cooperation of related agencies such as the Fire Department and local governments, the wildfire was extinguished without any casualties or property damage.

The Korea Forest Service plans to conduct a site investigation later in accordance with the Forest Protection Act to determine the exact cause of the fire and the extent of the damage.

Ko Rak-sam, head of the Central Wildfire Control Headquarters of the Korea Forest Service, said, "Strong wind and dry weather warnings continue to be in effect along the East Coast," and urged residents near forests and hikers to actively participate in wildfire prevention.

Meanwhile, under the Forest Protection Act, even those who accidentally cause a wildfire can face up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won.

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