Yeongdeok County Begins Demolition Work First After 12 Days of Wildfire

Formation of Task Force Team
1,000 Temporary Modular Homes to Be Built by End of May

Yeongdeok County in North Gyeongsang Province was the first among the five cities and counties affected by the wildfire that broke out in Uiseong County on the 25th of last month to begin demolition work, accelerating the recovery process.

Demolition of houses damaged by wildfire in Yeongdeok County. Provided by Yeongdeok County

Previously, Yeongdeok County conducted on-site damage inspections in cooperation with the North Gyeongsang Provincial Government starting on the 28th of last month to minimize the damage and inconvenience to residents. The first round of inspections has now been completed, and since the 7th, the county has been verifying the accuracy and fairness of the damage assessment by contracting 20 loss adjusters from the Korea Association of Loss Adjusters.

Based on these efforts, Yeongdeok County is simultaneously accepting applications for village demolition consent forms and temporary housing support forms. The county plans to swiftly provide 600 temporary housing units and 400 permanent housing units to the affected residents by the end of May, following the demolition of damaged facilities.

The temporary housing units can be used for up to two years before being returned, while the permanent housing units?an independent initiative by Yeongdeok County?will be built on private land with the condition of purchase after the lease period expires.

So far, Yeongdeok County has received 821 demolition consent forms. On the 9th, just 12 days after the wildfire was extinguished, demolition began with 17 households in Gumi-ri, Yeongdeok-eup. Full-scale demolition has now begun in 50 wildfire-affected villages within the county, which is expected to significantly expedite the stabilization of housing for the victims.

To this end, on the 7th, the county formed a "Temporary Housing Modular Home Task Force Team" led by Deputy County Governor Moon Sungjun, consisting of 43 specialists from three departments and three towns. The team has established a solid foundation for the project by swiftly and effectively handling administrative measures, securing budgets, finalizing sites, designing, and coordinating facility production.

County Governor Kim Kwangyeol stated, "Overcoming the shock and pain caused by this wildfire requires creative measures that go beyond routine administration. Through flexible use of resources and personnel, close cooperation with supporting organizations and groups, and proactive operation of the task force team, we will help wildfire victims return to their daily lives as soon as possible and show a resilient Yeongdeok rising again."

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