Wildfire in Hadong, Gyeongnam Extinguished... One Firefighter Dies

Spring Rain Accelerates Firefighting Speed... 91ha Damage

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Su-yeon] The wildfire that occurred in the Jirisan National Park area of Hwagae-myeon, Hadong-gun, Gyeongnam, was contained two days after it started.

The Korea Forest Service Central Wildfire Control Headquarters announced at noon on the 12th that the main fire in Hwagae-myeon, Hadong-gun, had been extinguished. The wildfire, which started at 1:19 PM the previous day, was put out in about 22 hours.

Jirisan National Park Wildfire Ignition Location Photo by Yonhap News

The Korea Forest Service and Hadong-gun are investigating the cause of the wildfire while monitoring for any flare-ups. Authorities believe that ashes discarded from a wood boiler may have spread to the mountain and ignited the fire. Some wildfire suppression personnel remain at the site to monitor for re-ignition.

Rain fell around 11 AM in Hadong and other western Gyeongnam areas, aiding the firefighting efforts. Initially, the wildfire containment rate was only 62% by 9 AM, and progress was slow. Due to haze, helicopter deployment was delayed, and the containment rate remained stagnant as of 7 AM. However, with the rain and improved visibility, firefighting helicopters were deployed, accelerating the containment efforts.

There were no casualties among residents due to this wildfire. However, one wildfire prevention firefighter (64) from Jinju collapsed with cardiac arrest symptoms the previous night and was transported to a hospital but passed away. The Korea Forest Service estimates that the wildfire caused damage over an area of 91 hectares.

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