A large wildfire occurring in Gyeongbuk and other regions has continued for a week, causing increasing damage. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (Central Disaster Countermeasure Headquarters) of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety stated on the 27th that there have been 26 deaths due to this wildfire. There are 8 serious injuries and 22 minor injuries, totaling 56 casualties. Most of the victims are elderly individuals over 60 years old, who are finding it difficult to evacuate quickly.
This wildfire has damaged 325 buildings, including dwellings, warehouses, temples, and factories. More than 24,000 nearby residents have temporarily evacuated to nearby gyms and schools. Among them, over 14,700 have returned home, while about 9,300 continue to stay in temporary shelters. Electricity, telecommunications, and water supply have been cut off in several areas affected by the fire, and roads are being blocked.
According to the Central Disaster Countermeasure Headquarters, this wildfire is spreading rapidly at a speed of 8 to 10 km/h. The estimated area of forest damage due to the wildfire is 35,810 hectares. This reaches about 60% of the area of Seoul (60,520 hectares). It has surpassed the previous record damage of the 2000 East Coast wildfire (23,794 hectares).
Wildfires have occurred from the 21st to this day in areas including Sancheong, Hadong, and Gimhae in Gyeongnam, Uiseong, Andong, Yeongyang, Yeongdeok, and Cheongsong in Gyeongbuk, Uljin in Ulsan, and Okcheon in Chungbuk. The firefighting rates are 52% in Andong, 54% in Uiseong, and 77% in Sancheong and Hadong. The Korea Meteorological Administration forecasted that there will be rain of about 5 mm in the wildfire areas on this day.