Today Is the 'Golden Time' to Suppress Large Wildfires... Damage Area Exceeds 40,000ha

Due to rain, humidity is high and winds have calmed
"Active main fire suppression is needed in the morning"
Damage area reaches 48,150 ha... 28 deaths

The damage caused by the wildfires in Gyeongbuk and Gyeongnam, recorded as the worst in history, continues to spread. According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, as of 7 a.m. on the 28th, the total number of deaths is 28, and there are 37 people with serious and minor injuries. Facility damage has been tentatively estimated at 3,481 locations. The number of completely burned buildings reached 2,166, and 1,077 agricultural facilities were also destroyed by fire. Eleven nationally designated heritage sites and twelve city/province-designated heritage sites were damaged. A total of 8,078 residents are still staying in shelters.

Due to unpredictable strong winds, the wildfire spread at a speed of 8.2 km/h, similar to a running person's pace, and the damage increased during evacuation because many elderly residents live in farming and mountain villages. On the morning of the 27th, a wildfire monitor in his 60s was found dead in his vehicle in Yeongdeok-gun, Gyeongbuk. It is presumed that he was engulfed by flames while returning home after firefighting operations. Won Myung-su, director of the National Forest Satellite Information Utilization Center, said, "During the 2019 Sokcho-Goseong wildfire, the fire spread at 5.2 km/h despite winds of 33 m/s, but this time it spread much faster." The wildfire-affected area in Gyeongbuk and Gyeongnam combined has expanded to 48,150.6 hectares. Although the affected area is estimated to be larger than the actual confirmed damage area because it includes the area within the wildfire perimeter, it is about three times the size of the 2022 Uljin-Samcheok wildfire damage area (16,302 ha).

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Meanwhile, as the wildfire containment rate increases, there is a turning point in the firefighting efforts. Today and the weekend could be the "golden time" to control the wildfire. According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, as of 7 a.m. on the 28th, the wildfire containment rate in Gyeongbuk rose to 84.6%. This is about 20 percentage points higher than the 63.2% recorded at 6 p.m. on the 27th. Uiseong, where the wildfire started, has the highest containment rate at 95%, followed by Cheongsong at 89%, Andong at 85%, Yeongyang at 76%, and Yeongdeok at 65%. The remaining fire line has been reduced by about half, from 283.8 km to 143.0 km. The containment rate of the wildfires in Sancheong and Hadong, Gyeongnam, is also 86%, with about 10.0 km of remaining fire line. The wildfire that occurred in Onyang, Ulju, Ulsan, was controlled along with the "Danbi" rain on the night of the 27th. Although insufficient, the humidity increased and wind speed temporarily decreased due to the rain that fell overnight. Therefore, it is crucial to carry out maximum firefighting efforts on the 28th to control the main fire.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and the Korea Meteorological Administration, a small amount of rain is forecasted for the Gyeongbuk and Gyeongnam areas where firefighting operations are underway. In Cheongsong, Andong, Uiseong, and Yeongdeok in Gyeongbuk, where the fire spread the widest, about 1 mm of rainfall is expected. Humidity is quite high as of 8 a.m., with Andong at 60%, Cheongsong at 61%, and Yeongdeok at 92%. Wind speed has also weakened to less than 2 m/s. Although temporary, these conditions create an environment favorable for wildfire suppression.

Taking advantage of the momentary lull in the wind, firefighting helicopters are expected to focus on controlling the main fire. When wind speeds exceed 20 m/s, it becomes difficult to operate helicopters. Lee Young-joo, a professor in the Department of Fire and Disaster Prevention at Kyungil University, said, "Since it is forecasted that dry and strong winds will return from this afternoon, active suppression efforts need to be made in the morning," adding, "Helicopters, especially large ones, should be deployed to areas where the main fire is concentrated." As of 5 a.m. today, forestry authorities have deployed 109 helicopters, 8,118 personnel, and 967 firefighting equipment units to carry out firefighting operations.

However, from the weekend onward, it will be difficult to expect weather assistance again. There is no rain forecast for the near future, and dry weather and strong winds will return. The Korea Meteorological Administration forecasted, "The atmosphere will be very dry mainly in the eastern regions for the time being, and strong winds will blow in most parts of the country." A dry weather advisory is currently in effect for the Gyeongsang region.

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