The forest fire that started in Sancheong County, Gyeongnam, spread to Hadong County, Jinju City, and Jirisan National Park over 10 days and was extinguished after 213 hours. The area damaged by this fire amounts to 1,858 hectares, approximately the size of 2,602 soccer fields.
According to forestry authorities on the 30th, as of 1 p.m. that day, the main firefighting efforts for the Sancheong fire, which lasted for 10 days, had been completed.
This marks 213 hours since the fire broke out at 3:26 p.m. on the 21st.
After the initial ignition, the forestry authorities issued 'stage 3 fire warnings' and initiated firefighting efforts, but strong winds quickly exacerbated the fire, which engulfed nearby areas such as Okjong-myeon in Hadong on the 23rd and Sugok-myeon in Jinju on the 25th.
The main fire in Jinju was extinguished around 6:15 p.m., just two hours after it broke out.
However, the fires in Sancheong and Hadong continued to spread, and by the 26th, flames traveled with the wind over the ridge of Gukgoksan in Sancheong, reaching parts of Jirisan National Park.
The Jirisan forest fire affected an area of 123 hectares, which is relatively small compared to the total damage area.
However, factors such as rugged terrain, vegetation, and strong winds hindered the efforts of firefighting personnel.
On the lower slopes of the Jirisan fire site, brush and rhododendrons were densely grown, while oak and pine trees thrived in the mid to upper layers, preventing the firefighting water dropped from helicopters from reaching the ground effectively.
The leaf litter layer reached a maximum depth of 100 cm and weighed up to 300 to 400 tons per hectare. The fire exhibited a 'subsurface' spread pattern by using the leaf litter as fuel.
The steepness of the slope reached 40 degrees, and with no access roads, the deployment of personnel and equipment such as air fire response teams, special fire response teams, and high-performance firefighting vehicles was challenging.
Additionally, gusts of wind exceeded 10 to 20 meters per second, creating embers that scattered everywhere and complicating firefighting operations.
At one point, smoke rising near Gwanumsa Temple, located 4.5 kilometers from Cheonwangbong, the highest peak of Jirisan, raised concerns about increasing damage to the national park.
While the fire persisted, there were two instances of rain; however, the cumulative precipitation was less than 1 mm, which amounted to just a few minutes of drizzle, providing little help.
However, thanks to the tireless efforts of special and aerial firefighting personnel who worked overnight, the main fire could be contained that day.
In particular, dozens of helicopters, including the Chinook (CH-47) models owned by U.S. Forces Korea, played a critical role in the firefighting efforts.
As this forest fire prolonged, casualties and property damage ensued.
During the firefighting operations, four members of the fire response team and public officials from Changnyeong County, who were isolated by the flames, lost their lives, and 10 others were injured.
A total of 2,158 evacuees were recorded, with 28 dwellings, 2 factories, and 2 religious facilities among 84 affected establishments.