PM orders swift, safe evacuations in response to wildfire

A wildfire spreads across a mountain in Inje, Gangwon Province, Thursday. Courtesy of Korea Forest Service

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok on Thursday ordered local authorities to ensure the swift and safe evacuation of residents after a wildfire broke out in Inje, Gangwon Province.

After being briefed on the situation, Kim instructed municipalities to mobilize all necessary administrative resources to support the evacuation of residents in affected areas.

He also ordered the Korea Forest Service to work with the provincial government, the fire agency and the defense ministry to secure required response equipment, focus on early containment and prevent the blaze from spreading to nearby regions.

Kim called on local authorities to ensure that evacuation shelters and emergency relief supplies are sufficiently prepared to minimize inconvenience for evacuees.

The wildfire broke out at around 5:29 p.m. on a hillside in Inje, 132 kilometers east of Seoul, according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

Authorities have built firebreaks along the ridge where the wildfire is spreading in an effort to halt its advance. With nightfall making helicopter deployment impossible, authorities plan to dispatch aircraft as soon as dawn breaks.

No casualties have been reported so far.

The risk of the fire spreading to nearby houses or military bases appears to be low.

As of 10 p.m., the fire line extended to roughly 2.2 kilometers, with containment at 41 percent.

The government plans to investigate the cause of the fire and assess the extent of the damage once the blaze is extinguished.