Day 4 of East Coast Wildfire, Ashes Covering Area 57 Times Yeouido... Full Effort to Extinguish Main Fire

Forest Damage 16,775ha‥ Uljin 12,039ha Largest
17,940 People, 95 Helicopters, 781 Vehicles Deployed

Gyeongbuk Uljin Wildfire Site [Korea Forest Service]

[Asia Economy Reporter La Young-cheol] As the wildfire containment rate on the East Coast stands at 40-50%, the forestry authorities are focusing on deploying firefighting helicopters on the 7th to control the main fire. After four days of continuous wildfires, an area equivalent to 57 times the size of Yeouido in Seoul has turned to ashes.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced on the same day, "As of 6 a.m. on the 7th, the estimated forest damage (area affected by the wildfire) is 16,775 hectares due to the East Coast wildfire."

This is the second-largest wildfire in history, following the wildfire that occurred in the East Coast region in 2000.

The damaged area exceeds more than one-quarter of Seoul's area (60.5 hectares). This corresponds to 57.8 times the area of Yeouido (290 hectares, the area inside Yunjungno embankment) and is equivalent to the combined size of 23,466 soccer fields (0.714 hectares each).

By region, the estimated damage is 12,039 hectares in Uljin, 656 hectares in Samcheok, 80 hectares in Yeongwol, 1,900 hectares in Gangneung, and 2,100 hectares in Donghae.

There have been no confirmed casualties, but 512 facilities were damaged, and 343 houses were destroyed, including 272 in Uljin and 63 in Donghae.

Among cultural assets, the Eodal Mountain Beacon Mound in Donghae City (Gangwon Province Monument No. 13) was damaged.

The number of evacuated residents was recorded as 7,355 people from 4,659 households as of 9 p.m. on the previous day (6th).

In 18 temporary shelters such as public facilities, village halls, and senior centers, 485 people from 436 households have taken refuge.

On the East Coast, wildfires are occurring simultaneously in Uljin, Samcheok, Gangneung, and Donghae, while inland wildfires are ongoing in Yeongwol County, Gangwon Province, and Dalseong County, Daegu.

As of 6 a.m. on the day, the containment rates are 40% for Uljin and Samcheok, 80% for Gangneung, and 50% and 40% for Yeongwol and Dalseong, respectively.

Meanwhile, the forestry authorities are mobilizing all personnel and equipment to extinguish the main fire during the day, while simultaneously monitoring remaining embers and preventing re-ignition.

At a field briefing on the day, Choi Byung-am, Administrator of the Korea Forest Service, stated, "Today, we will deploy a large number of helicopters around the Geumgang Pine cluster in Geumgangsong-myeon, and in the afternoon, 18 helicopters currently operating in Gangneung and Donghae will be moved to Uljin to focus on extinguishing the main fire."

The Korea Forest Service has set suppressing the western fire line as the top priority for containment today. However, they explained that if the wind direction changes to a south wind, there is a possibility that fires could reignite in previously contained areas.

For wildfire suppression, 17,940 personnel (2,068 firefighting teams, 2,978 public officials, and 12,894 firefighters, police, coast guard, and military personnel), 95 helicopters, and 781 vehicles have been deployed.

With the national wildfire crisis alert at the "Severe" level issued on March 4, the authorities are focusing management on Uljin, Samcheok, Gangneung, and Donghae, where there are concerns about casualties.

In particular, as the wildfire has approached to within 500 meters of the Geumgang Pine cluster in Uljin, dozens of helicopters are being deployed to pour water along each ridge, making every effort to protect the Geumgang Pine.

The Hanul Nuclear Power Plant remains in normal condition, and monitoring personnel have been assigned to four transmission lines (two in Uljin, two in Gangneung) that have been shut down.

At the Samcheok LNG base, four firefighting vehicles and 113 personnel are on emergency standby.

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