As a wildfire that broke out in Macheon-myeon, Hamyang County, South Gyeongsang, continued for 13 hours, forest authorities are speeding up containment.
According to the Korea Forest Service, to extinguish the blaze that started at about 9:14 p.m. on the 21st in Changwon-ri, Macheon-myeon, Hamyang County, 37 helicopters, 36 vehicles, and 186 personnel were deployed.
At 4 a.m. on the 22nd, wildfire response level 1 was issued, and 32 residents of nearby villages evacuated to places such as the community center.
The affected area is estimated at 45 ha. The fire line is 2.77 km, of which 1.71 km has been contained. The current containment rate is 62%.
At the scene, strong winds are blowing with an average wind speed of 6.9 meters per second and a maximum instantaneous wind speed of 11.8 meters per second. It was also reported that the large number of steep slopes is making firefighting difficult.
The Korea Forest Service said it is responding with resident safety as the top priority by comprehensively considering weather conditions and terrain characteristics, and is maintaining the wildfire response level in preparation for the possibility of further spread.