A forest fire that broke out in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang Province, is threatening the Hahoe Folk Village in Andong as of the 25th, prompting the firefighting authorities to deploy a large fire cannon in advance to protect the village.
The National Fire Agency announced additional measures in response to the forest fire response level 3, which was declared in the Uiseong area of North Gyeongsang Province that afternoon. The response level 3 is the highest in the forest fire response stages, declared when the average wind speed exceeds 11 m/s, the estimated damage area exceeds 100 hectares, and the estimated extinguishing time exceeds 48 hours. It allows the relevant authorities to mobilize 100% of firefighting personnel, equipment, and helicopters.
To ensure rapid rescue operations, the National Fire Agency has dispatched nine special rescue teams nationwide to the North Gyeongsang area and plans to selectively deploy high-performance chemical vehicles capable of large-volume and long-distance water spraying. Additionally, they plan to deploy the large-volume water cannon system in advance to defend major areas, including Hahoe Folk Village in Andong.
The large-volume water cannon system is equipment designed to effectively respond to large oil tank fires, such as the fire at the Goyang oil depot, and was deployed on-site by the firefighting authorities in January 2022. Currently, two units are deployed at the Ulsan Central 119 Rescue Headquarters Chemical Center, which has many large oil storage and handling facilities, and one additional unit is scheduled to be introduced at the Chungcheongnam-do Seosan 119 Chemical Rescue Center in the first half of this year.
One unit of the large-volume water cannon system deployed in Ulsan can spray firefighting water at 45,000 liters per minute, while another unit can spray at 30,000 liters per minute, reaching up to 130 meters. This is equivalent to the simultaneous spraying by 26 large pump trucks, which are capable of spraying over 2,800 liters per minute. Using submersible pumps, the large-volume water cannon system can utilize water from lakes, rivers, or seawater without limitation for firefighting.
A fire broke out in an oil tank at the Onsan Industrial Complex in Ulsan in February. While it could have escalated into a major disaster, the large blaze was successfully controlled after about two hours. The firefighting authorities noted, "The large-volume water cannon system played a significant role," and added, "The fire was controlled within 15 minutes of its deployment on-site."