Lee Han-gyeong, Vice Administrator of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, noted on the 23rd that most of the wildfires occurring simultaneously across the country are caused by human negligence.
Vice Administrator Lee held the second meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for wildfire response in Ulsan, Gyeongbuk, and Gyeongnam regions at the Government Sejong Convention Center that morning.
He said, "I earnestly ask the public to recognize that a small spark can lead to a large wildfire and to refrain from carrying fire when entering the mountains or visiting graves, burning agricultural byproducts, and disposing of cigarette butts and firewood boiler ashes."
Vice Administrator Lee also mentioned that "the wildfires are rapidly spreading across a wide area in dry weather, threatening the lives of the public" and that a disaster situation has been declared in the regions of Ulsan, Gyeongbuk, and Gyeongnam, where large-scale wildfires have occurred, mobilizing all available personnel and equipment for full-scale firefighting efforts.
The headquarters shared the wildfire response status as of 8 a.m. that morning, noting that 99 helicopters and 4,875 personnel, including firefighters, have been mobilized for firefighting.
So far, there have been 4 deaths and 6 injuries, totaling 10 casualties due to the wildfires. All died or were injured at the wildfire site in Sancheong, Gyeongnam.