Sancheong: Some 1,300 officials and 120 pieces of equipment were mobilized Saturday to contain a wildfire that broke out in the southeastern county of Sancheong, officials said. As of 1 p.m., about 70 percent of the fire that erupted the previous day had been extinguished, according to firefighting and forest authorities.
According to Yonhap News Agency, a resident in one of the seven villages affected by the wildfire received hospital treatment after inhaling smoke, but no other casualties were reported. A total of 213 local residents have evacuated to a nearby research center. South Gyeongsang Province Governor Park Wan-su emphasized their commitment to controlling the blaze, noting that strong winds could pose challenges to firefighting efforts in the afternoon.
Authorities issued the highest level of response measures to combat the blaze about three hours after the fire initially broke out at 3:26 p.m. on Friday. Plans are in place to determine the exact cause of the fire once it is fully extinguished. The person who first reported the fire confirmed that a spark ignited the blaze during mowing activities.