Hapcheon Forest Fire Burning Over 1,000 Soccer Fields Fully Extinguished by 6 PM

A wildfire that broke out on the afternoon of the 28th in Yulgok-myeon, Hapcheon-gun, Gyeongnam Province, has spread late at night to Ssangnim-myeon, Goryeong-gun, Gyeongbuk Province. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] The Hapcheon wildfire was completely extinguished around 6 p.m. on the 1st as the main fire was brought under control.

The wildfire that broke out at 2:26 p.m. on the 28th in Noyang-ri, Yulgok-myeon, Hapcheon-gun, Gyeongnam, spread to Ssangnim-myeon, Goryeong-gun, Gyeongbuk, driven by dry weather and strong southwest winds, and was extinguished after 27 hours and 34 minutes with a 100% containment rate.

The wildfire, which reached a length of 1.5 km, burned a forest area of 675 hectares, equivalent to about 1,000 soccer fields. There were no direct casualties, but 31 people from 26 households were evacuated overnight due to damage to residential areas.

A total of 39 helicopters operated by the Korea Forest Service, local governments, fire departments, and the military were deployed for firefighting, and 860 personnel including Gyeongnam local officials and firefighting teams participated in the operation. A total of 117 vehicles, including firefighting equipment and command vehicles, were also mobilized.

The Korea Forest Service had earlier issued a "Wildfire Stage 3" alert around 5:30 p.m. the previous day, mobilizing personnel and equipment not only from the responsible agencies but also from neighboring institutions. A "Mobilization Order No. 1" was also issued to deploy firefighting forces from surrounding cities and provinces.

The wildfire that started in Yulgok-myeon, Hapcheon-gun, Gyeongnam, and spread to Ssangnim-myeon, Goryeong-gun, Gyeongbuk, caused damage to an area of approximately 675 hectares, nearly equivalent to 1,000 standard soccer fields.

Fortunately, there were no casualties or housing damages. However, 337 people including village residents from Goryeong-gun and Hapcheon-gun and patients from nursing homes evacuated to nearby village halls and senior centers to escape the fire, with most having returned home.

The Korea Forest Service formed a specialized wildfire investigation team with the National Institute of Forest Science and began on-site investigation and inspection. They are analyzing the cause and location of ignition, the spread path, and have started collecting evidence to apprehend the arsonist.

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