South Korea - The Korea Times

Main flames contained in Hadong wildfire on 2nd day

The main flames of a wildfire in the southern county of Hadong were contained Tuesday, a day after the blaze reignited in a region battered by the nation's worst wildfires in history last month. The main fires were extinguished at around noon, nearly 24 hours after the fire broke out at 12:05 p.m. Monday, according to the Korea Forest Service. The forest service issued a fire response Level 2 and deployed 36 helicopters and other personnel to battle the fire but failed to get the major flames under control before sunset. Authorities later mobilized 72 pieces of equipment and 667 personnel to carry on the firefighting operation overnight before putting 31 helicopters into operation after sunrise. The fire forced 506 residents to flee to a nearby school for safety, officials said. Authorities suspect a man in his 70s started the fire while working with a turf cutter. They plan to look into the exact cause after the blaze is fully extinguished. (Yonhap)

Apr 8, 2025By Yonhap

Main flames contained in Hadong wildfire on 2nd day

Firefighters struggle to contain wildfire in Hadong after sunset

Firefighters on Monday battled to contain a wildfire in the southern county of Hadong after sunset, and residents in several villages were advised to evacuate to safe locations, according to authorities. The fire erupted on a mountain in Hadong, South Gyeongsang Province, at 12:05 p.m. according to the Korea Forest Service. Hadong is one of the regions devastated by the nation's worst wildfires that were contained late last month. According to the agency, 326 residents were evacuated, 214 of which are residing at designated shelters. The Korea Forest Service mobilized 36 firefighting helicopters and 753 personnel to put out the latest wildfire that has scorched some 65 hectares of land. Now, all helicopters have been pulled out after sunset, and over 500 personnel struggled to contain the wildfire. A man in his 70s was taken to a hospital with burns on both hands after attempting to put out the fire himself, according to the forest service. Authorities suspect the man started the fire while working with a turf cutter, and plan to look into the exact cause of the blaze after it is extinguish

Apr 7, 2025By Yonhap

Firefighters struggle to contain wildfire in Hadong after sunset

Korea’s wildfire-hit forests need century to recover: study

The devastating wildfires that swept through more than 48,000 hectares of forest in southeastern Korea last week — the worst in the country’s history — will require around a century for full ecological recovery, according to forestry experts. The National Institute of Forest Science estimates that fire-damaged areas in North and South Gyeongsang provinces and Ulsan will take about 20 years for vegetation to regrow, achieving around an 80 percent structural recovery of forests. Forest wildlife — including fish, insects and other animals — is expected to return in 35 years as the ecosystem recovers, providing ample food and suitable conditions for reproduction. Overall, it will take about 100 years for the burned soil to fully regain its original condition through microorganism activity and natural ecological processes. The wildfires, which started March 21 in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang Province, spread rapidly to neighboring cities and counties due to strong winds and dry conditions, claiming at least 30 lives and displacing over 33,000 residents. Despite days of firefighting effo

Apr 2, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Korea’s wildfire-hit forests need century to recover: study

Bill drafted to toughen penalties for causing wildfires

Lawmakers proposed a bill on Monday to strengthen penalties for individuals who cause wildfires, after out-of-control blazes scorched more than 48,000 hectares of woodland and killed dozens of people in the worst wildfire disaster in the country’s history. Rep. Suh Cheon-ho and 11 other lawmakers from the ruling People Power Party drafted a bill to increase the minimum prison sentence for individuals responsible for starting a fire in privately owned forests, raising it from five years to seven. The bill also aims to raise the minimum prison sentence for those who accidentally start a fire in someone else’s forest or jeopardize public safety by causing a fire on their own land, increasing the sentence from three years to five. This comes after a wildfire disaster that resulted in 30 deaths, 45 injuries and widespread damage to thousands of properties, including around 3,300 houses, in North Gyeongsang Province. Investigators are looking into several suspects connected to the incidents that happened in multiple locations. One of them is a 56-year-old man suspected of starting a fire i

Mar 31, 2025By Jung Min-ho

Bill drafted to toughen penalties for causing wildfires

On-site probe begins into point of ignition for Uiseong wildfires

Police, firefighters and relevant authorities on Monday conducted their first joint on-site investigation at the original point of ignition for the nation's worst wildfires in history that charred vast areas of woodland in the southeastern province of North Gyeongsang last week. The forest fire was allegedly accidentally ignited by a 56-year-old man on a hill in North Gyeongsang county Uiseong's Anpyeong district, about 180 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on March 22. It rapidly spread to Andong and three adjacent counties amid high winds and dry conditions for nearly a week, killing 26 people and destroying an estimated 4,000 structures. Police booked the man without detention last Friday on suspicion of accidentally starting the fire while tending to his grandparents' grave site, with some news reports saying that he tried to burn tree branches over the grave with a cigarette lighter. The Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency said the first on-site investigation was conducted at the grave site and the surrounding hill, together with the National Forensic Service, the National Institute of

Mar 31, 2025By yonhap

On-site probe begins into point of ignition for Uiseong wildfires

Main blaze in massive wildfire contained in Sancheong after nearly 10 days

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. The military deployed 600 soldiers and 49 helicopters Sunday to help completely extinguish the remaining embers and provide medical and other assistance. 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

Mar 30, 2025By yonhap

Main blaze in massive wildfire contained in Sancheong after nearly 10 days

Soldiers, military helicopters deployed to battle reignited wildfires

The military deployed 600 soldiers and 49 helicopters Saturday to help contain wildfires that have devastated the country's southeastern provinces, the defense ministry said. With the latest deployment, which includes four U.S. Forces Korea choppers, the military has deployed nearly 7,000 personnel and over 300 helicopters so far to fight the wildfires that began last week in swaths of areas in the South and North Gyeongsang provinces, according to the ministry. An additional 5,100 troops and nine helicopters were on standby for additional deployment should firefighting authorities require more personnel, it added. The Korea Forest Service earlier announced the wildfires in North Gyeongsang had been fully brought under control as of 5 p.m. Friday after killing or injuring dozens of people and forcing thousands of others to flee. But the wildfires reignited overnight. About 48,000 hectares of woodland, equivalent to some 80 percent the size of Seoul, have been scorched in the worst wildfire disaster ever in South Korea, the forestry agency said. According to the Central Disaster and Safety

Mar 29, 2025By yonhap

Soldiers, military helicopters deployed to battle reignited wildfires

Firefighters combat wildfires in southeast areas after overnight reignition; death toll rises to 30

Wildfires reignited in the southeastern part of the country overnight Saturday before firefighters brought them back under control, according to firefighting and regional authorities. An official with Gyeongbuk Fire Service Headquarters said reports of smoke in Andong, some 190 kilometers southeast of Seoul in North Gyeongsang Province, had started coming in at around 10 p.m. Friday night. Forestry officials believe the fire reignited around 3 a.m. Saturday. The Korea Expressway Corp. blocked off a section of a nearby highway at 5 a.m. and reopened it just before 9 a.m. With vehicles unable to reach the mountainous areas, 11 helicopters were called in to contain the fire. Officials said fires had also restarted in other parts of the province, including Euiseong, just south of Andong. Regional officials called in firefighting helicopters, along with firefighters and other personnel, to bring the main body of the fires under control. As of the afternoon, 55 helicopters and 5,500 personnel had been on duty in the southeast region, including Euiseong, Andong and Cheongsong, putting out live e

Mar 29, 2025By yonhap

Firefighters combat wildfires in southeast areas after overnight reignition; death toll rises to 30

Police to summon suspect in worst-ever wildfires for questioning

A man suspected of causing massive wildfires in Korea's southeastern regions will be summoned for questioning next week for allegedly violating the Forest Protection Act, a local government said Friday. The suspect in his 50s is suspected of causing the fire at 11:24 a.m. on Saturday while performing an ancestral rite at a family grave on a hill in Uiseong County, North Gyeongsang Province. The fire rapidly spread due to gusty winds amid dry conditions, devastating the region before being fully contained around 5 p.m. Friday. At least 24 people were killed and 25 others injured in the province alone, with thousands evacuated, according to authorities. Police completed a preliminary investigation involving his daughter recently, and are drawing up plans to question the man, according to officials. The accidental starting of a wildfire can result in up to three years in prison or a fine of 30 million won ($20,433) in Korea. Prosecutors have said the investigation needs to focus on whether he violated the Forest Protection Act, as well as the Criminal Act and the Cultural Heritage Protection

Mar 28, 2025By yonhap

Police to summon suspect in worst-ever wildfires for questioning

Korea's worst-ever wildfires contained in 149 hours, 48,000 ha of forest scorched

The devastating wildfires that swept across the southeastern region since last week are fully contained as of Friday 5 p.m. after 149 hours of firefighting operations, according to forest authorities. The fire that started in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang Province, on March 21 had spread rapidly to neighboring cities and counties with strong winds and dry weather, killing at least 28 and displacing more than 33,000 residents. The nation lost some 48,000 hectares of forest, equivalent to 80 percent of the size of Seoul, or 63,245 football stadiums. This is far greater than the 23,794 hectares damaged by the east coast wildfires in 2000, which had been the worst in the country’s history. The cooler temperatures from the overnight rain helped firefighters, as strong winds subsided, the Korea Forest Service (KFS) said. Firefighters have put out some 94 percent of the blaze as of Friday noon, significantly higher than 63 percent from Thursday afternoon. Some 5,580 personnel, 86 helicopters and 569 fire trucks were deployed in the firefighting operations. Meanwhile, the blaze in the Jirisan Nationa

Mar 28, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

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