A large wildfire that broke out in Uiseong County, North Gyeongsang Province, has not been contained for two days and is spreading. Authorities have initiated nighttime response efforts for two consecutive nights.
According to the Korea Forest Service as of the 23rd, the total area affected by the wildfire has been recorded at 4,560 hectares, equivalent to 6,512 soccer fields. The scale of damage has increased 15.5-fold in just one day. The total length of the fire front has grown to 90.8 kilometers, with 37.5 kilometers of it still not contained, where firefighting efforts are ongoing. However, as the winds have calmed compared to the previous day, the firefighting rate for the Uiseong wildfire reached 60% as of 7 p.m. today.
Currently, authorities have transitioned to a nighttime response system, focusing on building firebreaks to prevent the flames from reaching residential areas. A total of 1,882 personnel, including special firefighting teams, have been deployed for nighttime firefighting operations.
Currently, 1,503 residents from nearby villages have evacuated to the Uiseong Indoor Gymnasium, and damage to facilities has been recorded at 94 houses, including residential homes. 392 residents affected by the wildfire in Uiseong County are in evacuation centers such as the Uiseong Indoor Gymnasium. Patients and elderly individuals, numbering 337, who are hospitalized at nursing homes or rehabilitation hospitals in Uiseong County have also been relocated to nearby hospitals in Andong with the assistance of medical personnel.
The wildfire, which broke out at about 11:25 a.m. the previous day at the summit of a hill in Goesan-ri, Anpyeong-myeon, Uiseong County, has spread 20 kilometers to the east due to strong winds. Authorities issued a Level 3 response at approximately 2:10 p.m. A Level 3 response is issued when the estimated damage area exceeds 100 hectares, the average wind speed exceeds 7 meters per second, and the expected firefighting time is more than 24 hours.