Gangwon Blaze kills one, destroys 401 houses

A hill in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Sunday, is seen devastated by a forest fire that broke out last Thursday. President Moon Jae-in designated five cities and counties in the province as special disaster zones, Saturday, to help them recover from damage from the blaze that destroyed 401 houses and left 466 people homeless. / Yonhap

By Kim Jae-heun

The Ministry of Interior and Safety (MOIS) said Sunday that the forest fires that hit five cities and counties in Gangwon Province from Thursday to Friday destroyed 401 houses in the surrounding area.

They also left one person dead and injured 11, one of whom is still hospitalized.

Some 530 hectare of forest, 77 warehouses, 158 outdoor filming sets, and 959 livestock farms and agricultural facilities were also devastated by the blaze

Currently, 722 residents of the region who were evacuated are being housed at 21 shelters ― the government is planning to utilize nearby training facilities owned by the public institutions to ease overcrowding.

“It is time to focus on helping victims in the affected area,” Interior and Safety Minister Chin Young said at a meeting in the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters at the government complex in central Seoul, Saturday.

“We have to figure out the types of housing we can provide and minimize the administrative procedures for securing sites to erect prefabricated houses and infrastructure.”

The fires broke out in Goseong County and spread to the neighboring cities of Sokcho, Gangneung and Donghae in less than an hour.

Around 4,000 residents in areas around the affected cities and counties were evacuated, but 3,700 people were allowed to return home after the fire was extinguished.

Medical volunteers offer check-ups for victims of last Thursday’s wildfire in Gangwon Province at a temporary shelter in Goseong, Sunday. Korea Times photo by Seo Jae-hoon

The largest number of firefighters and equipment ever were mobilized to deal with the fire, according to Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon.

President Moon Jae-in designated the areas special disaster zones Saturday, a decision that will that will expedite government support to residents.

This was the sixth such declaration under the Moon administration ― the last time was after a typhoon hit the south of the country in October. It was the third wildfire-related designation following fires in 2000 and 2005, also in Gangwon Province.

Chin said the dry weather and a strong wind caused the fire to spread and destroy forest resources and a large number of properties.

“It is our priority to minimize the damage to human life and make sure we extinguish all fires. Then we will help the victims to return to their everyday life as soon as possible,” he added.

Meanwhile, an expert said it would take over 20 years to fully restore the natural environment.

“In the case of animals, it takes 30 years for them to return and only when burnt areas return to their original condition. However, it takes longest time to restore forest soil as it needs animals and microorganisms' activities as part of the forest ecosystem,” a researcher at the Korea Forest Service said.