6,280 Evacuated Due to Donghae Wildfire... Communication Networks Down in Some Areas

Forest damage 6,352ha... Nationwide fire alert highest level 'Critical' issued
Mobile phones and wireless internet down in Uljin-eup area

On the 5th, flames are rekindling on a mountain in Hadang-ri, Buk-myeon, Uljin-gun, Gyeongbuk Province. The forestry authorities announced that the wildfire, which had been moving northward due to a change in wind direction in the morning, is now moving south again.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Minwoo Lee] More than 6,000 people have evacuated and around 200 facilities, including homes, were destroyed due to wildfires that occurred in the East Sea region, including Uljin, Gyeongbuk and Gangneung, Gangwon-do. In some parts of Uljin, communication networks have also been cut off.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) announced that as of 3 p.m. on the 5th, 216 facilities, including 159 homes, were destroyed due to the wildfires in Uljin and Samcheok. There were no casualties, and forest damage was estimated at 6,352 hectares (ha). Specifically, Uljin and Samcheok accounted for 6,066 ha, and Gangneung 286 ha. There was a report of an elderly woman in her 80s in Ok-gye-myeon, Gangneung, who died during evacuation that morning, but this was excluded from the wildfire casualty count.

The wildfire started at 11:17 a.m. on the 4th in the hills of Ducheon-ri, Buk-myeon, Uljin-gun, Gyeongbuk. It spread rapidly with strong winds and expanded to Samcheok. Separately, at around 1:08 a.m. on the same day, a wildfire also broke out in Ok-gye-myeon, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do. This wildfire is currently moving toward Mangsang and Mukho in Donghae-si.

According to the CDSCH, 6,280 people evacuated from Uljin, Samcheok, Gangneung, and Donghae due to the wildfires in the East Sea region. Temporary shelters currently house 736 evacuees from Uljin-gun and Samcheok-si, 41 from Gangneung-si, and 291 from Donghae-si.

As the wildfire spread, communication networks were cut off in the Jukbyeon-myeon and Uljin-eup areas of Uljin. From around 3 p.m., mobile phones and wireless internet stopped working. Uljin-gun issued evacuation orders to residents of Howol 3-ri and Jeongnim 2-ri in Uljin-eup, and Sangdang-ri in Buk-myeon.

Currently, firefighting efforts involve 65 helicopters and 7,002 personnel, along with 513 vehicles from forestry authorities, fire departments, police, military, and local governments.

Meanwhile, the Fire Agency issued a nationwide Fire Mobilization Order No. 2 at 5:30 a.m. on the same day. The Fire Mobilization Order allows for the support of insufficient firefighting forces from other regions in case of large fires, accidents, or disasters. The scale of mobilization is classified as No. 1 (5% of on-duty firefighting forces), No. 2 (10%), and No. 3 (20%). Fire Mobilization Order No. 2 was previously issued during the Gangwon Goseong wildfire in May 2020.

Additionally, considering the wildfire and the issuance of dry and strong wind warnings nationwide, the Fire Agency declared the highest fire risk alert level, "Severe," across the country on the same day.

The government also activated the CDSCH from 9 p.m. the previous day to prevent the spread of the wildfire and to facilitate early recovery from damages. Minister of the Interior and Safety Jeon Hae-cheol was appointed as the head of the headquarters. At 10 p.m. on the same day, a disaster declaration was issued for Gangwon and Gyeongbuk.

On the same day, the CDSCH held a joint on-site countermeasure meeting at the integrated command center in Uljin, Gyeongbuk, chaired by Head Jeon Hae-cheol. Attendees included the heads of the Korea Forest Service, Fire Agency, Governor of Gyeongbuk, Deputy Governor of Gangwon, Mayor of Uljin, Mayor of Samcheok, Chief of Gyeongbuk Police Agency, and Chief of Gangwon Police Agency. Head Jeon emphasized, "Protecting lives and critical facilities is the top priority," and added, "Necessary support must be provided timely and sufficiently to minimize the inconvenience of residents evacuated to temporary shelters."

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