A wildfire that broke out in a mountainous area of Inje County in Gangwon Province was extinguished 17 hours after it broke out, authorities said Friday.
The Korea Forest Service announced that the main blaze in Girin-myeon’s Hyeon-ri area had been brought under control as of around 10:30 a.m.
The fire started around 5:23 p.m. Thursday on a hillside in Hyeon-ri and quickly spread uphill, driven by strong winds. As the sun went down, the deployment of firefighting helicopters became more difficult, complicating suppression efforts, authorities explained.
Forestry and fire authorities mobilized 338 personnel, including special wildfire suppression units and firefighters, who worked through the night to raise containment to 68 percent by early morning.
An additional 30 firefighting helicopters were dispatched at sunrise, significantly accelerating the operation and enabling full containment of the main fire.
The blaze scorched an estimated 36 hectares of forest. Twelve residents from eight households near the ignition point were evacuated to a senior community center in Hyeon-ri.
Inje County also issued emergency mobile alerts instructing hikers and residents in nearby villages to evacuate to designated shelters. All 12 evacuees are expected to return home as conditions stabilize.
Authorities will keep nine helicopters and ground crews in the area to extinguish remaining embers and prevent any flare-ups.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the wildfire, with initial assessments suggesting that a container left in the forest may have sparked the blaze.
jychoi@heraldcorp.com
