Hadong-gun Strong Winds Spread Large Wildfire ... 20 Helicopters Deployed

In Hadong-gun, Gyeongnam, a large forest fire has spread due to strong winds, prompting the issuance of a Level 2 alert and the deployment of 20 helicopters for firefighting efforts.

The fire broke out on the afternoon of the 11th at 1:19 PM in Daeseong-ri, Hwagae-myeon, Hadong-gun. The forestry authorities issued a ‘Level 2 forest fire alert’ as of 3:50 PM to prevent further spread.

A Level 2 forest fire alert is issued when the estimated damage area is between 30 and less than 100 hectares, the average wind speed is 7 to 11 meters per second, and the expected firefighting time is between 8 and 24 hours.

Reference photo. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The forestry authorities are currently responding by urgently deploying 20 helicopters from their own units, local governments, and fire departments, along with 30 firefighting vehicles and about 270 forest fire suppression personnel.

At the site, gusts of wind are blowing at approximately 10 meters per second.

So far, there has been no damage to residential areas, but four residents of Wontongam near the site have been evacuated urgently.

The affected forest fire area is about 57 hectares, with a total fire line length of approximately 3.4 kilometers, and the containment rate is estimated at about 10%.

The Gyeongnam Forest Fire Prevention Headquarters warned, “We will mobilize firefighting personnel and equipment to focus all efforts on rapid containment,” and added, “We will strengthen crackdowns on illegal activities such as burning agricultural byproducts and garbage within 100 meters of forest areas, and will strictly punish any violations.”

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