Yangyang Seomyeon Wildfire Contained After 16 Hours

22.5 Hectares of Forest Destroyed
No Reported Casualties

The wildfire that broke out on November 22 in Seomyeon, Yangyang, Gangwon Province, burned approximately 22.5 hectares (225,000 square meters) of forest before being extinguished after about 16 hours.

On November 23 at around 10:20 a.m., forestry and fire authorities deployed 26 wildfire suppression helicopters in succession to put out the main blaze. As a result, the authorities shifted to a phase focused on clearing remaining embers and monitoring for rekindling.

The fire started at around 6:16 p.m. the previous day on a hillside across from a pension in Seorim-ri, Seomyeon, Yangyang. Emergency nighttime firefighting personnel, numbering 326, were mobilized to battle the wildfire throughout the night, but steep slopes and other factors made suppression efforts difficult.

At 7:35 p.m. on the same day, Yangyang County advised 330 households and approximately 600 residents in five villages near the affected areas-including Seorim-ri, Galcheon, and Songcheon-to evacuate to community centers and other safe locations via disaster safety text messages. Two residents temporarily evacuated but later returned home voluntarily, and no casualties have been reported so far.

Korea Forest Service

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