31 helicopters deployed to Gyeongju wildfires, 60% containment reported

[Financial News] Forestry authorities are making an all-out effort to contain two wildfires in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, deploying 31 helicopters. The fires have been burning for a second consecutive day.
The Korea Forest Service (KFS) said it deployed 31 helicopters at 7:16 a.m. on the 8th to the wildfire site in a wooded area in Ipcheon-ri, Munmu-daewang-myeon, Gyeongju City. The fire line there stretches 1.74 kilometers, and the affected area is 10 hectares. Containment has been estimated at 60%. Strong northwesterly winds of 4.3 meters per second are blowing at the scene. KFS issued Level 1 wildfire response for the area at 5:30 a.m. that day. Level 1 is declared when the expected damage area is between 10 and 100 hectares.
Forestry authorities are also working to extinguish an earlier wildfire in a wooded area in Sindae-ri, Yangnam-myeon, Gyeongju City. That fire has a 0.92-kilometer fire line, with 4.27 hectares affected, and is 94% contained. The straight-line distance between the ignition point and the Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant National Industrial Complex is about 7.6 kilometers. Authorities do not expect the Yangnam-myeon fire to spread to the Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant National Industrial Complex, but they have tightened monitoring as a precaution.
The ignition points of the Munmu-daewang-myeon and Yangnam-myeon wildfires are about 11 kilometers apart. KFS has deployed 341 personnel and 97 pieces of equipment to the two fire sites to carry out suppression operations.
Meanwhile, fire authorities issued Level 1 fire response for these areas at 10:11 p.m. the previous day. Gyeongju City ordered residents of villages adjacent to the wildfires to evacuate, and as of 7 a.m. on the 8th, 106 people from 10 locations had taken shelter. Thirteen of them have since returned home.
Forestry and fire authorities are concentrating personnel and equipment on extinguishing the fires and are focused on preventing further damage.
ahnman@fnnews.com Ahn Seung-hyun Reporter