Over 31,000 acres have burned down – Thousands of residents were forced to leave their homes so that their lives would not be in danger
Fires caused by strong winds and dry weather destroy southeast South Koreawith the result that at least four people have lost their lives and surrendering more than 36,000 acres to flames, officials said on Tuesday.
Five fires were reduced by 88% on average on Tuesday morning, according to a government release. One front has been completely limited and the largest – which has burned more than 31,000 acres close to residential areas with more than 200,000 people – has been reduced by 55%.
Four people – three firefighters and a government official who assisted in extinguishing efforts – were found dead, according to the South Korean interior and security ministry. The burnt body of a fifth person who is suspected of dying in the flames was later found in the day, as the fire quickly spread to the east, a local government official said.
“Wind speed will reach 10 to 20 meters per second this afternoon, while temperatures will reach very high, increasing the risk of spreading fires,” reporters told reporters on Tuesday morning. Lim Shang-SeopHead of the South Korean Forest Service.
The biggest fire threatened the Uiseongforcing at least 1,550 inhabitants to leave, Lim said. Nearly 50,000 people live in the county. During the night, the fire had entered the outskirts of the city of Antong – which hosts at least 153,000 people – forcing more than 1,260 people to evacuate, he added.
“The restriction rate was 60% yesterday, but the perimeter of the fire increased overnight due to winds, reducing the limit to 55%,” Lim said.
Nearly 80 helicopters and more than 3,100 people from the Army, Forest Service and local fire stations are operating on the fronts of the fire, Lim added.
The fires are not uncommon in South Korea, especially in the eastern parts of the country that are sparsely populated and covered by forests. Hundreds of fires break out each year, according to the country’s forestry service, although most are small and limited.
The country’s largest recorded fire occurred on the east coast of the country in April 2000, when flames burned more than 58,000 acres and caused $ 32 million damage. In March 2022, fires burned more than 40,000 acres, also on the east coast, and caused $ 750 million damage.
Source :Skai
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