A wildfire broke out in Hadong, Gyeongnam, on the 7th, and the forest authorities are conducting firefighting operations. It is spreading to nearby areas due to dry weather and strong winds.
According to the forest authorities, the fire started around 12:05 p.m. in a mountainous area in Hoeshin-ri, Okjeong-myeon, Hadong. Hadong suffered significant damage from the wildfire that spread from Sancheong, Gyeongnam, last month. The location of the recent fire is known to be 3 km away from the area affected by the Sancheong wildfire.
The forest authorities issued a stage 1 wildfire warning at 1:45 p.m. and upgraded it to stage 2 by 3:30 p.m. A stage 1 warning is issued when the estimated damage area is expected to be between 10 hectares and 50 hectares, while a stage 2 warning is issued when it is between 50 hectares and 100 hectares. The forest authorities are deploying 21 helicopters, 37 pieces of equipment, and 397 firefighters for the operations.
The area affected by the wildfire is 47 hectares, with 1.9 km of the 4.9 km fire front extinguished. The fire containment rate is 40%. Strong winds of up to 15 m/s hit the wildfire sites, but the wind has now subsided to 8 m/s. However, the flames continue to spread.
The Hadong County office has advised nearby residents, including those in Hoeshin Village and Yangji Village, to evacuate to a nearby high school. Currently, 326 residents have completed the evacuation.
According to the forest authorities, a man in his 70s near the fire site sustained burns to both hands while trying to extinguish the fire by himself and was transported to the hospital. Authorities suspect that this man was working with a brush cutter when the wildfire occurred.
Earlier, the Hadong County office sent safety alert text messages to residents on the 2nd prohibiting the use of brush cutters and warning about their use on the 5th. However, a Hadong County official noted that "the text messages contained warnings and recommendations, and they do not have any enforcement power."
The Deputy Minister of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (acting Minister of Public Administration and Security) urgently directed, "Relevant agencies should invest all available equipment and personnel to focus on the early extinguishment of the wildfire." He added, "Residents in areas at risk from wildfires should be evacuated quickly, and proactive measures such as constructing firebreaks should be prioritized to prevent casualties."