By 5 p.m. on the 23rd, the fire suppression rate in Sancheong, Gyeongnam, and Uljugun, Gyeongbuk, rose to 70%. In contrast, the fire suppression rate in Uiseong-gun, Gyeongbuk, where the fire is largest, was only 59%.
The Korea Forest Service Central Accident Response Headquarters stated that the fire suppression rate for the fires occurring in Sancheong-gun, Gyeongnam, and Uljugun, Gyeongbuk, was 70% as of 5 p.m. on the same day.
First, the total fire line in Sancheong is 43 kilometers, with 13 kilometers still being suppressed, and 30 kilometers completely extinguished. The affected fire area is estimated at 1,368 hectares, which is equivalent to 1,916 soccer fields.
A total of 589 residents near villages in the fire-affected area have been evacuated to places such as Donguibogam Village in Geumsu-myeon, Sancheong-gun. So far, there have been 4 fatalities and 6 injuries, with damage reported at 46 sites.
In the Uljugun fire in Gyeongbuk, 4.02 kilometers of the total fire line of 13.4 kilometers are still being extinguished. 9.02 kilometers have been completely extinguished. One Uljugun government worker involved in the firefighting efforts suffered an ankle injury.
The fire in Uiseong, which occurred in two locations in Anpyeong-myeon and Angye-myeon the previous day, is the largest in scale. The fire, which appears to have been ignited accidentally by visitors to the tomb on a hillside in Goesan-ri, Anpyeong-myeon, was 52% contained by 5 p.m. yesterday.
The area affected by forest damage has reached 4,150 hectares, equivalent to 5,811 soccer fields. This is nearly 14 times the 300 hectares (420 soccer fields) reported as of 7 p.m. the previous day.
So far, one person has been injured, and damage has occurred at 61 sites. The forestry authorities are deploying 52 helicopters, 2,319 personnel, and 304 vehicles to extinguish the fire.
Another fire, which started at 2:39 p.m. yesterday in Yanggok-ri, Angye-myeon, has an unknown cause and is 76% contained. Of the total fire line of 22.8 kilometers, 17.3 kilometers have been extinguished, and the damage area is estimated at 500 hectares (700 soccer fields).
According to the forest authorities, while a southeasterly wind of 1 meter per second is blowing at the site, as night falls, the wind direction is expected to shift to westerly or southwesterly, with wind speeds anticipated to increase. Especially after sunset, it is uncertain whether the fire suppression efforts can maintain the current rate of fire spread due to limitations on helicopter deployment.
The forest authorities issued a highest-level Stage 3 response for the Gyeongbuk Uiseong fire at around 2:10 p.m. the previous day. Stage 3 is announced when the estimated affected area exceeds 100 hectares, the average wind speed exceeds 7 meters per second, and the estimated extinguishment time exceeds 24 hours.