▲ ‘Uiseong Forest Fire’ spreading to a village due to strong winds
The firefighting operation for the forest fire in Uiseong, Gyeongbuk, which has been burning for four days, resumed today (the 25th) as daylight broke.
The forest authorities, along with other units, deployed helicopters, fire trucks, and firefighters en masse to the site of the Uiseong forest fire this morning.
Currently, there is a wind speed of about 3.5 m/s at the fire site, and it is expected that there will be areas with fairly strong winds of up to 10 m/s during the day.
With an additional national firefighting mobilization order issued, 226 pieces of equipment including fire pump trucks have been dispatched to the Uiseong area.
Overnight, approximately 2,700 firefighters and public officials constructed firebreaks focusing on key facilities and residential areas to prevent the spread of the fire.
The fire, which broke out on the morning of the 22nd at 11:25 am in a mountain in Goesan-ri, Anpyeong-myeon, Uiseong-gun, has spread eastward due to strong winds.
By 4:10 pm on the 24th, the fire had reached a mountain in Hyeonhari, Gil-an-myeon, Andong City, an adjacent municipality.
As a result, the affected area by the forest fire has increased to 8,490 hectares.
This is identified as the third-largest damage caused by a domestic forest fire in history.
Firefighting is currently being conducted over 66.4 km of the total 164 km of fire lines where the fire has not been extinguished.
About 1,200 residents in Uiseong-gun have evacuated to places like the Uiseong Gymnasium.
In Andong, where the fire has spread, around 1,000 residents, including those in facilities like nursing homes in Gil-an-myeon and other areas, have evacuated to safer locations.
Andong City established an integrated command center at the administrative welfare center in Gil-an-myeon, and approximately 200 firefighting personnel and public officials are working to contain the spread of the forest fire.
Meanwhile, due to the heavy smoke accompanying the forest fire, the Uiseong IC to Nam Andong JCT section of the Central Expressway was completely closed from 12:15 am but reopened at around 5:40 am.
(Photo = Yonhap News)