Emergency relief of 300,000 won each to be paid to 270,000 residents
Wildfires that raged across North Gyeongsang Province for the last seven days are fully contained as of 5 p.m., authorities said Friday.
Overnight showers and decreased wind speeds assisted in suppressing the wildfire in Uiseong, Cheongsong, Yeongdeok and Yeongyang counties.
According to the authorities, light rainfall of approximately 1 millimeter in northern areas of the province, coupled with reduced wind speeds of some 7 to 11 kilometers per hour, helped slow the fire’s spread. Andong also had a brief, much-needed downpour after midnight.
Earlier in the day, authorities said they were planning to deploy around 80 helicopters and thousands of personnel to fully extinguish wildfires before sunset Friday.
Damage and displacement
The fires, entering their eighth day on Friday, have scorched approximately 48,150 hectares — equivalent to 67,400 soccer fields or 166 times the area of Seoul’s Yeouido.
The fires have been linked to 28 deaths, nine severe injuries, 28 other injuries and over 33,000 displaced people. About 2,400 households, or 8,000 individuals, sustained damage, including to their homes and agricultural facilities.
In response, North Gyeongsang Province announced an emergency housing plan on Friday.
Gov. Lee Cheol-woo said that displaced residents will be relocated to temporary shelters, utilizing corporate training centers and hotels, and will be provided with prefabricated houses. Plans are also underway to build new residential villages in affected areas.
Emergency relief payments of 300,000 won ($205) per person will be distributed to approximately 270,000 residents across the five affected regions of Uiseong, Andong, Yeongdeok, Yeongyang and Cheongsong.
To better respond to future disasters, the province plans to adopt nighttime firefighting systems using drones and uncrewed extinguishing robots. It also aims to revise evacuation guidelines and develop specialized firefighting equipment for mountainous terrain.
“We are doing everything we can to fully extinguish the fires and support affected residents in restoring their lives,” said Gov. Lee.
ddd@heraldcorp.com
