Fire Agency issues 'Mobilization Order No. 1' for Yeongdeok wildfire... Firefighting forces from surrounding cities and provinces deployed

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Eun-mo] The National Fire Agency issued 'Mobilization Order No. 1' on the 16th to mobilize firefighting forces from surrounding cities and provinces in response to the wildfire that occurred in Yeongdeok, Gyeongbuk.

The firefighting force mobilization order is to support insufficient firefighting forces from other regions in case of emergencies such as large fires, accidents, or disasters. The stages increase according to the scale of mobilization: No. 1 (5% of the on-duty firefighting force), No. 2 (10%), and No. 3 (20%). According to the mobilization order, 45 pump trucks and 20 water tank trucks from Daegu, Ulsan, Gangwon, Gyeongnam, Daejeon, Gyeonggi, Chungbuk, and Chungnam will be deployed to suppress the wildfire.

At around 2:18 a.m. that day, a wildfire that reignited in Hwacheon-ri, Yeongdeok-eup, Yeongdeok-gun, Gyeongbuk, spread due to strong winds. Accordingly, the Korea Forest Service issued wildfire response level 2 at around 8:25 a.m., and as of 12:45 p.m., it was upgraded to wildfire level 3.

Lee Heung-gyo, Commissioner of the National Fire Agency, went directly to the site in the afternoon to receive a situation report, pledging to make every effort to prevent damage to private houses and civilians, while urging caution to prevent safety accidents among firefighters.

The National Fire Agency issued firefighting response level 1 at 8:25 a.m. and then issued response level 2 around 5 p.m. Response level 1 is an alarm order where the entire personnel of the jurisdictional fire station are dispatched, and response level 2 mobilizes personnel and equipment from 5 to 6 adjacent fire stations.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, Jeon Hae-cheol, Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, instructed the forestry authorities, firefighting authorities, and related local governments to "swiftly deploy available resources to minimize damage" regarding the wildfire. According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Minister Jeon emphasized to the forestry authorities to "thoroughly establish firebreak lines and ensure that residents in areas at risk of damage from the fire evacuate in advance."

He also instructed to inform residents in advance about inconveniences such as sudden elevator stoppages in preparation for situations like power line damage and power outages. Minister Jeon additionally requested thorough preparation for emergencies, including pre-arranging Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) restoration personnel, and strict safety management for firefighting personnel.

Lee Seung-woo, Director of the Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, chaired an emergency situation assessment video conference at the Central Disaster and Safety Situation Room in Government Sejong 2 Complex, Sejong City, with officials from the Korea Forest Service, National Fire Agency, National Police Agency, and Gyeongsangbuk-do attending regarding the Yeongdeok wildfire.

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