Estimated 20ha Forest Fire Damage in Hongcheon-gun, Gangwon-do... 90% Containment Rate (Comprehensive Report 2)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] The wildfire that broke out in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province on the afternoon of the 23rd is 90% contained, but nighttime firefighting efforts are facing difficulties due to helicopter withdrawal and strong winds.

According to the forestry authorities, the wildfire, presumed to have been caused by the burning of agricultural waste, started around 3:52 PM in Hwacheon-myeon, Hongcheon-gun, and firefighting efforts are ongoing through the night. As of 8:30 PM, the containment rate is 90%, and approximately 20 hectares of forest are estimated to have been lost. There is no damage to houses, but four residents from four households evacuated to the Hwacheon-myeon Welfare Center to escape the fire.

When the fire broke out, seven helicopters deployed for firefighting withdrew around 6:55 PM at sunset. Currently, about 210 personnel, including aerial firefighting teams, special wildfire suppression teams, professional wildfire suppression teams, and government officials, remain at the scene to extinguish the fire. In particular, when the fire spread to a 120-year-old pine tree designated as a protected tree in Hongcheon-gun, firefighters sprayed water on the protected tree to suppress the fire.

The forestry authorities have established an integrated wildfire command center in the main conference room of the Hwacheon-myeon office and switched to a nighttime firefighting system. At dawn tomorrow, five firefighting helicopters and about 230 personnel will be deployed to continue firefighting efforts.

Earlier, Hongcheon-gun sent a disaster alert message urging local residents to evacuate to safe areas due to the risk of the wildfire spreading to nearby regions.

The fire area is experiencing winds of 5 to 6 meters per second, and firefighting is difficult due to logging debris. Currently, dry weather and strong wind warnings are in effect in the Yeongdong region of Gangwon Province. The forestry authorities plan to investigate the exact damage area and cause of the fire.

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