As massive wildfires continue to burn across North Gyeongsang Province, people across the country are stepping up to show their appreciation for the firefighters working around the clock to control the blazes.
Users on social media platforms such as X and Thread have shared posts, which were later shared by local media, offering help to firefighters through prepaid donation systems. One such system involves purchasing items like bottled water and snacks at convenience stores in advance so that firefighters can access them when needed.
“If many people buy just 10 bottles of water each, we’ll have thousands in no time,” the post read, adding that plans to buy more items, such as masks and instant meals, have been challenging as many local shops in the area have temporarily closed due to the fires.
Another user wrote about delivering bottled water and bananas to the firefighters.
“Luckily, I was able to hand the fruit directly to firefighters, who began eating the bananas right on the spot.” The post encouraged others to deliver supplies to the Uiseong Sports Complex parking lot, where firefighters are stationed.
A woman surnamed Choi who has operated a pension in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang Province for the past three years, told a local daily that she decided to offer free accommodation to firefighters dispatched to the wildfire zones.
“They looked so exhausted, and since the area is quite rural, there weren’t many places for them to rest. It broke my heart to see that even when they stayed, they only had time for an hour or two of sleep in shifts,” she told local daily Money Today.
She said she stocked the pension with essentials like ramen, bedding and coffee, as that is all she “can do, but our community is doing whatever it can to help.”
Despite continued efforts to support firefighters and evacuees in North Gyeongsang Province, necessities such as blankets for shelters are still desperately needed, authorities said, because they had to evacuate and leave everything behind.
However, with roads closed and delivery services disrupted due to the fire, getting supplies into affected areas remains a challenge.
Another post online showed that a local hotel in Andong was offering rooms to evacuees.
“This area has a large elderly population and has been hit hard,” the post read. “We don’t have many rooms, but we want to offer what we can to those with nowhere else to go,” the post said.
ddd@heraldcorp.com
