Daegu, Gangwon wildfires reignite, firefighters dispatched to contain blazes

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Daegu, Gangwon wildfires reignite, firefighters dispatched to contain blazes

Published: 30 Apr. 2025, 10:22

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

A helicopter deployed to fight the wildfire that broke out on Mount Hamji in Daeju is seen spraying water from above on April 29. [NEWS1]

Wildfires in Daegu and Inje, Gangwon, that were previously extinguished have reignited, prompting forest authorities to dispatch aircraft and personnel to contain the blazes.

Forest officials deployed 14 helicopters and a ground response team at sunrise on Wednesday to combat a reignited wildfire on Mount Hamji in Nogok-dong, Buk District, Daegu. While the exact scale of the rekindled fire has yet to be determined, large plumes of smoke were observed rising from the site.

The original fire on Mount Hamji began at 2:01 p.m. on Monday and burned through approximately 260 hectares (642 acres) before it was declared extinguished 23 hours later at 1 p.m. on Tuesday. However, just over six hours after that announcement, at 7:31 p.m., a new fire was detected near Baengnyeonsa Temple on the seventh ridge of the mountain.

“We are deploying all available personnel and equipment to suppress the fire,” said an official from the forest agency.

In Gangwon’s Inje County, fire authorities were also called into action after flames reemerged just three days after a wildfire had been brought under control.

A new fire was observed at 4:45 a.m. on Wednesday in Hahnam-ri, Sangnam-myeon, Inje, according to forest and fire officials. Five helicopters, nine vehicles and 53 personnel were immediately mobilized at sunrise to fight the fire, which has a flame front estimated at 100 meters (109 yards) in length.

A Surion helicopter deployed to extinguish the Mount Hamji wildfire in Daegu is seen on April 28. [NEWS1]

Authorities believe the likelihood of the fire spreading further is low, given the calm winds and high humidity in the area. They plan to assess the damage and investigate the cause once the blaze is fully contained.

The original fire in Inje broke out at 1:18 p.m. on Saturday near the Sangnam 7 Tunnel on the Seoul-Yangyang Expressway and was brought under control by 9 a.m. the following day after burning for nearly 20 hours.

The blaze damaged approximately 73 hectares of forest land and forced 384 residents of Inje and Yangyang to evacuate to local community centers.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY LEE HAY-JUNE [[email protected]]