The wildfire that broke out in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang Province, on the 22nd is estimated to have an affected area of 45,000 hectares, the largest in history.
According to forestry authorities on the 28th, the affected areas by wildfire in North Gyeongsang Province are as follows: ▲ Uiseong 12,821 hectares ▲ Andong 9,896 hectares ▲ Cheongsong 9,320 hectares ▲ Yeongyang 5,070 hectares ▲ Yeongdeok 8,050 hectares.
The Central Disaster Response Headquarters of the Korea Forest Service said, "Overnight, ground firefighting personnel were deployed to prevent the wildfire from reaching residential areas as much as possible," adding, "We plan to sequentially deploy helicopters for firefighting as the sun rises."
Fortunately, the weather conditions have improved. Although it rained in small amounts overnight in various areas of the wildfire zone, wind speeds have also decreased. As a result, the average firefighting rate in North Gyeongsang Province has risen to 85%. Since there is no rain forecast for the time being, we will mobilize helicopters, equipment, and personnel to launch an all-out firefighting effort.
In the Uiseong County area, where the wildfire first broke out, firefighting has been completed over 263 kilometers of the 277 kilometers of fire line, reaching a firefighting rate of 95%. ▲ In Andong City, firefighting has been completed over 145 kilometers of the 171 kilometers of fire line, resulting in a firefighting rate of 85%. ▲ In Cheongsong County, firefighting has been completed over 166 kilometers of the 187 kilometers of fire line, resulting in a firefighting rate of 89%. ▲ In Yeongdeok County, firefighting has been completed over 70 kilometers of the 108 kilometers of fire line, resulting in a firefighting rate of 65%. ▲ In Yeongyang County, firefighting has been completed over 141 kilometers of the 185 kilometers of fire line, resulting in a firefighting rate of 76%.
The wildfire in the northern region of North Gyeongsang Province has resulted in 24 fatalities, and many cultural properties have also been lost. The area of damage is likely to be the largest in history, predicting this will be the worst wildfire disaster on record.