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The Gyeongbuk Bonghwa forest fire that started in the daytime yesterday (5th), Arbor Day, did not go out all night.
The forestry authorities, which issued the '3rd stage of forest fire response' and worked to extinguish the fire at night, started firefighting activities by putting in a fire-fighting helicopter again a while ago.
Correspondent Han Se-hyeon.
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Red flames continue along the ridge, and black smoke continues to rise.
Near private houses, firefighters are busy with firefighting work.
The wildfire that started yesterday afternoon in a hill in Hwacheon-ri, Bonghwa-eup, Bonghwa-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, did not extinguish overnight.
The wildfire was carried by strong winds of 10 m/s and quickly spread to nearby forests, and forest officials failed to catch the main fire.
The forestry authorities, which issued the '3rd stage of forest fire response' at 7:00 pm yesterday evening, continued the nighttime firefighting work by putting in 82 firefighting equipment and 700 firefighters.
Special firefighting team members worked all night to extinguish the fire, focusing on villages and barns near the fire.
So far, one vacant house and two warehouses have been burned and 120ha of forest has been lost, but fortunately there have been no casualties.
About 20 residents who had evacuated to the town hall have all returned home.
[Lee Young-ok / Socheon-ri, Bonghwa-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do: It is difficult to breathe because the smoke is so thick, and the mountains in front and back are on fire, so there is no time to forcibly pack clothes (evacuated.)]
The current extinguishing rate is 90%, and the forestry authorities started a complete firefighting process by re-introducing firefighting helicopters from 6 a.m. a little while ago.
Forest authorities believe that the fire started from wood boiler ashes thrown away from private houses, and plan to determine the exact cause of the fire as soon as the firefighting work is finished.