Large wildfires continue in southeastern S. Korea; prime minister declares 'all hands on deck'

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Mar 252025

안동까지 번진 의성 산불영향구역 밤새 4천㏊ 증가… 진화 총력전 Also on the national front. Fire fighters are working around the clock to tame the rampant flames across Korea's southeastern area fueled by high winds and dry conditions. Choi Soo-hyung has the latest. The large wildfires in the southeastern region of South Korea are still not under control. The damage is most severe in Uiseong-gun County, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province. The entire region has been affected by the wildfires since Saturday. By Tuesday, more than 30 villages were covered in smoke, and over 1,500 people had been displaced. More than 150 buildings, including houses, factories, and warehouses, have been destroyed. An area of more than 126 square kilometers, roughly the size of 17,600 football fields, has been directly or indirectly affected. This marks the third-biggest wildfire in the country’s history. Due to strong winds and dry weather, 60 percent of the fire Uiseong-gun has been contained so far. The Korea Forest Service has stated that the dense smoke is making firefighting efforts more difficult. A firefighter in his 40s was transported to hospital on Monday, marking the first hospitalization of emergency services personnel during the wildfire containment efforts in the region. Currently the wildfire has spread to nearby Andong city, and over 1,000 residents in the surrounding areas have been evacuated. There are wildfires in multiple areas, including Uiseong, Sancheong-gun County in Gyeongsangnam-do Province, and Ulju-gun County in Ulsan city. Over 87 square kilometers of forest, which is over 12,000 football fields, have been burned. On Tuesday, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that in total there have been 15 casualties, including four deaths. Including Uiseong-gun and Andong city, more than 4,200 people have been evacuated. The country's Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has called for all hands on deck. "The government has declared Sancheong and three other regions as special disaster areas, promising full national support for recovery. All firefighting helicopters and ground personnel will be mobilized for rapid containment of the wildfires." Authorities have deployed 110 helicopters and over 6,700 personnel. The wildfire in Sancheong-gun is 80 percent contained, and in Ulju, over 98 percent contained. The Korea Meteorological Administration has reported that strong winds will continue in southeastern areas, including Uiseong-gun, while rain is forecast nationwide on Thursday. Choi Soo-hyung, Arirang News. #Wildfires #Sancheong #Uiseong #Ulju #Andong #Fire_fighting #산청 #의성 #울주 #안동 #산불 #강풍 #진화 #Arirang_News #아리랑뉴스 📣 Facebook : / arirangtvnews 📣 Twitter : / arirangtvnews 📣 Homepage : https://v2.arirang.com/ 2025-03-25, 17:00 (KST)