The Korea Forest Service plans to focus all its efforts on the wildfire that has been ongoing for a week in the northern region of North Gyeongsang Province on the 28th.
Administrator Lim Sang-seob said during a briefing at the wildfire command center in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang Province, at 9 a.m. on that day, "Now that a good opportunity has come, we will concentrate all resources to control the main fire in all five cities and counties where the wildfire occurred today."
Administrator Lim noted, "Due to the rain that fell last night, the smoke has decreased, making it easier to secure visibility, and the temperature has dropped compared to the transfer time, creating conditions favorable for wildfire suppression," adding, "We will do our utmost in firefighting by deploying helicopters and personnel to the maximum extent possible."
On that day, the firefighting operation mobilized 88 helicopters deployed at sunrise, over 5,500 personnel, and 695 firefighting vehicles. The Korea Forest Service focused its firefighting personnel on residential facilities in downtown Andong and Yeongdeok, cultural heritages such as Cheongsong Daejeonsa and Andong Hahoe Village, and the protection of Juwangsan. As the firefighting efforts in Sancheong and Hadong in South Gyeongsang Province progress, personnel and equipment plan to be redirected to North Gyeongsang Province for additional deployment.
The average wildfire suppression rate in the northern region of North Gyeongsang Province is 85%, which is 22 percentage points higher than the previous afternoon. By area, Uiseong is at 95%, Andong at 85%, Cheongsong at 89%, Yeongyang at 76%, and Yeongdeok at 65%. The affected area of the wildfire has been recorded at 45,170 hectares.
According to the Korea Forest Service, from the previous night to the early morning of that day, the precipitation amounts were 1.5 mm in Uiseong, 1 mm in Andong, 2 mm in Cheongsong, 3 mm in Yeongyang, and 2 mm in Yeongdeok. The maximum daytime temperature in Uiseong is forecasted to be 14 degrees, which is 12 degrees lower than the previous day's maximum temperature of 26 degrees. The temperature is expected to drop below zero early on the 29th. According to forest authorities, when the temperature decreases, the rate of wildfire spread slows down, and the environment in which firefighting personnel work improves.