Efforts continue to extinguish the remaining fire at the Gyeongnam Sancheong wildfire, which has been burning for the ninth day. The Korea Forest Service deployed helicopters and personnel early on the 29th to control the fire in the Jirisan area.
Administrator Im Sang-seop held a briefing at the wildfire site and noted, "The Naewon Valley, where the main fire remains, has a thick layer of fallen leaves, making it difficult to control the wildfire. We are putting all efforts into extinguishing it."
As of now, the Gyeongnam Sancheong wildfire, which occurred on the 21st, has claimed 4 lives and resulted in 10 people sustaining serious or moderate injuries. Currently, 528 disaster victims are staying in 7 shelters including Donguibogam Village in Sancheong. A total of 83 facilities have been damaged, including 28 dwellings, 2 factories, and 2 religious facilities. The area affected by the damage spans 48,238 ha, which is 166 times larger than Yeouido, Seoul (290 ha).
As of 7 a.m. that day, the firefighting rate for the Sancheong wildfire was 96%. The firefighting effort in the Hadong area was completed the previous day, leaving only the fire line in the Jirisan area. The Korea Forest Service focused on reinforcing the defensive line and deploying personnel and equipment to continue firefighting efforts. The fire line in the Jirisan area measures 2.8 km.
Administrator Im stated, "Last night, we withdrew the fire line, which was about 4.5 km from the peak of Jirisan, approximately 2 km towards the Naewon Valley. Today, we will continue to conduct firefighting operations prioritizing the safety of residents and firefighting personnel while maintaining close cooperation with relevant organizations."
Since early that morning, the Korea Forest Service has deployed 55 helicopters, 1,598 personnel, and 224 vehicles to fight the main fire. However, strong winds and the steep terrain in the area where the fire line has formed are making it difficult to control the flames.