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Wildfire breaks out in Gangwon, extinguished after 1 hour and 20 minutes

Published: 21 Apr. 2026, 11:16

Fire authorities contain a fire in Gangwon on April 21. [GANGWON STATE FIRE HEADQUARTERS]

A wildfire broke out in Yangyang County, Gangwon, on Tuesday morning, and the main flame was contained approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes after the fire began.

The fire started at around 7:43 a.m. near Nonhwa-ri in Seo-myeon, Yangyang County, Gangwon. Forest and fire authorities deployed 34 pieces of equipment, 117 personnel and six helicopters and extinguished the main blaze at around 9:05 a.m.

No casualties have been reported.

A resident alerted authorities, saying large amounts of white smoke were rising, as the flames spread to a mountain behind a welfare center for people with disabilities. A community facility and a resort are nearby.

Winds of 6.9 meters per second (15.4 miles per hour) were recorded at the scene. Although the fire did not spread rapidly, fire authorities had difficulty accessing the area due to obstacles such as fences.

The county government sent emergency alert text messages, banning entry to the area and urging nearby residents and hikers to take extra precautions.

Authorities plan to investigate the exact cause of the wildfire and the extent of the damage once mop-up operations are completed.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG HYE-JEONG [[email protected]]