A large forest fire that started in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang Province, has spread to the nearby area of Andong.
According to forestry authorities on the 24th, the Uiseong forest fire spread around 4:10 p.m. from Jeomgok-myeon in Uiseong-gun to Hyeonhari mountain in Gilyeon-myeon, Andong.
As the forest fire continued to spread, forestry authorities sent evacuation alerts to residents of Hyeonhari village. Residents evacuated to Gilyeon Elementary School and Gilyeon Middle School.
The fire created flames reaching 6 meters high, driven by strong winds. The ridge of the mountain in Jeomgok-myeon, Uiseong-gun, has been completely burned, and the fire spreading to Andong is in a mountainous area, making it difficult for firefighting crews to directly access.
As the flames spread rapidly, forestry authorities ordered firefighting personnel in the mountains to evacuate to safety starting at 3 p.m. on the same day.
As of 6 p.m. that day, the affected area by the forest fire is estimated to be 8,490 hectares. The total fire line is 164 kilometers, of which 97.6 kilometers has been extinguished. The fire extinguishing rate is 60%.
As the Uiseong forest fire spreads to Andong, the border area of Cheongsong County is closely monitoring the situation. In Pacheon-myeon, Cheongsong County, which is adjacent to Gilyeon-myeon in Andong, dozens of patrol officers, including local government staff and firefighting personnel, are observing the situation.
Military authorities plan to deploy drones at dawn to monitor the progress of the forest fire and prepare for emergencies like resident evacuations.
As the forest fire in Sancheong, South Gyeongsang Province, continues for the fourth day, as of 6 p.m. that day, the fire extinguishing rate is 85%. The extinguishing rate had risen to 75% at one point, but strong winds caused the flames to spread to the adjacent Hadong area. The fire extinguishing rate has dropped to about 25%.
It recovered to a 70% level again, but as of that morning, there was no significant progress due to weather conditions. In the afternoon, as the wind calmed down, firefighting efforts gained momentum. Currently, all helicopters have withdrawn due to sunset, and personnel and vehicles are being deployed to prevent the fire from spreading to residential areas, with overnight firefighting planned.
As of 6 p.m. on the third day of the fire that occurred in Hanrim-myeon, Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, the fire extinguishing rate is 97%.