It appears that the horrible wildfires in South Korea are finally contained:
A massive wildfire that began in Sancheong County and swept through nearby regions in South Gyeongsang Province has been fully contained, authorities said Sunday.
The main fires were under control as of 1 p.m. Sunday, nearly 10 days after they first broke out March 21, according to forestry officials.
The wildfire has scorched an estimated 1,858 hectares of woodland, equivalent to around 2,600 football fields.
At least 30 people have died from the recent wave of nationwide wildfires, including 26 reported in North Gyeongsang Province.
Here is what started the fire Gyeongsangbuk-do:
Meanwhile, police authorities said they have booked a man suspected of starting the massive wildfires in North Gyeongsang Province.
The 56-year-old man is accused of causing the fire at around 11:25 a.m. on March 22 while performing an ancestral rite at a family grave on a hill in Uiseong County, North Gyeongsang Province.
The fire then spread rapidly to nearby Andong, Cheongsong, Yeongyang and Yeongdeok for days due to gusty winds amid dry conditions.
You can read more at the link, but investigators are still trying to determine who started the other wildfires.
It is not often South Korea is hit with deadly wildfires like they are currently experiencing:
At least four people were killed, six people were injured and some 1,500 people were evacuated as wildfires fueled by strong winds have scorched areas of the nation’s southeastern region, disaster authorities said Sunday.
The fire began in Sancheong County, about 250 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Friday and spread to other parts.
Of the six people who were injured, five were seriously harmed. All victims were found in Sancheong, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.
You can read more at the link.
This is really horrible for everyone that lost their homes. Hopefully the firefighters can quickly get this under control:
Hundreds of residents and tourists evacuated from a wildfire that spread fast with strong winds blowing across Gangneung, Gangwon Province, on Tuesday, amid growing concerns over additional damages due to high winds and dry weather.
According to the Gangwon Fire Headquarters, the forest fire broke out in Nangok-dong of Gangneung, Gangwon Province, at around 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, and the flames began to spread to houses nearby and other areas through strong winds. About 103 hectares of forest, the size of 144 soccer fields, were damaged and about 40 homes were destroyed. No casualties were reported as of 1 p.m., but authorities said they were having difficulties in extinguishing the fire as they were unable to dispatch helicopters due to strong winds.
Korea Herald
You can read more at the link.
Hopefully firefighters are able to get this blaze under control before it becomes a major threat to property owners:
Firefighters on Saturday continued to battle a mountain fire in the southeastern city of Andong that broke out the previous day, as strong winds hampered their containment efforts.
The fire, which was first reported on Friday afternoon, has affected an estimated 100 hectares of mountain land, with no casualties reported yet.
Authorities have ordered nearby residents to evacuate and restricted traffic around the city.
Minister of the Interior and Safety Chin Young ordered officials to use all available resources to contain the fire as soon as possible and minimize its impact.
Yonhap
You can read more at the link.
Great to see USFK helping to combat the massive forest fire in Gangwon-do:
The U.S. military sent four helicopters, including three UH-60 Black Hawks and a CH-47 Chinook, and 21 servicemembers, including pilots and crew chiefs from the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade, to help, according to the 2nd Infantry Division.
Stars & Stripes
The helicopters were equipped with specially designed aircraft buckets, known as Bambi buckets, to scoop water and drop it on designated areas, U.S. Forces Korea said, adding that additional assets are on standby if needed.
They worked with South Korea’s military, which provided 35 aircraft, 46 fire engines and some 7,000 troops to fight the blaze, the Yonhap News Agency reported.
You can read more at the link.
