Hundreds of households evacuated in Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province, as strong winds hamper wildfire efforts
SEOUL/CHANGWON -- The South Korean government declared a state of national disaster Saturday over massive wildfires that have engulfed Ulsan city and southeastern regions.
The measure took effect in Ulsan city, North Gyeongsang Province and South Gyeongsang Province as of 6 p.m., the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said.
The announcement followed acting President Choi Sang-mok's recommendation to issue the declaration in order to implement comprehensive measures to combat the disaster and aid recovery efforts.
Choi also ordered government officials to consider designating the affected areas as special disaster zones.
Shortly before the declaration, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, chaired by acting Interior Minister Ko Ki-dong, began operation, the ministry said.
The decision came as multiple wildfires were reported in Ulsan city and other southeastern counties, including Sancheong County.
Hundreds of villages in Sancheong were placed under evacuation orders as strong winds hampered firefighting efforts.
As of 3 p.m., 65 percent of the blaze had been extinguished, down from 70 percent at 10:30 a.m. The area affected by the wildfire had also expanded to 290 hectares.
The county office said two firefighters were found dead in the region. However, their identities and the cause of death remain unknown, it added.
Police and fire authorities plan to determine the exact cause after retrieving their bodies.
Acting President Choi visited the site and ordered relevant agencies to make the utmost effort to mobilize all possible equipment and personnel to put out the blaze before sunset.
He also urged safety for residents, as well as firefighting authorities deployed to the scene, stressing that seamless preparations should take place should the blaze continue overnight.
Authorities issued the highest level of response measures to put out the blaze, about three hours after the fire first broke out at 3:26 p.m. Friday.
Authorities plan to determine the exact cause of the blaze after extinguishing it. A person who first reported the fire was confirmed to have said that a spark started the fire during mowing.
Meanwhile, the Korea Forest Service raised the wildfire emergency level to its highest as of 3:30 p.m., with 16 wildfires reported nationwide amid strong winds. (Yonhap)
