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| ▲ A chopper sprays water over a hill in Hongseong, South Chungcheong Province, on April 4, 2023, where a wildfire has continued for the third day. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ This photo provided by a reader shows hills in Hampyeong, South Jeolla Province, ablaze with a wildfire on April 3, 2023. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
(LEAD) wildfires-firefighters
(LEAD) Main body of wildfire in central county brought under control
(ATTN: RECASTS headline; UPDATES throughout with latest info)
HONGSEONG/DAEJEON, South Korea, April 4 (Yonhap) -- Firefighters brought the main body of a wildfire in the central county of Hongseong under control Tuesday three days after the blaze broke out to burn down dozens of houses and factories.
The fire had been mostly under control as of 4 p.m., some 53 hours after it engulfed a hill in Hongseong, 114 kilometers south of Seoul, according to forestry authorities.
A total of 71 buildings, including 34 houses and 35 factories, were scorched, while 1,454 hectares of land were presumed to have been affected by the blaze.
Authorities said they were trying to completely put out the blaze.
Thousands of firefighters and forestry personnel were, however, combating wildfires in the nearby cities of Dangjin and Daejeon, which have continued for the third day on Tuesday amid dry weather
Fifteen fire helicopters were deployed to fight the wildfire in Daejeon after sunrise, authorities also said, adding 953 personnel and a total of 85 fire engines and gear will be mobilized Tuesday to combat the fire there.
The fire extinguishing rate in the Dangjin wildfire, meanwhile, stood at 98 percent, and more than 1,000 fire personnel were stepping up efforts to completely put out the fire.
The southern county of Hampyeong, 274 km south of Seoul, and the nearby city of Suncheon -- both in South Jeolla Province -- also saw wildfires that broke out on Monday spread further overnight.
Four factories, two livestock sheds and two greenhouses were burnt down by the Hampyeong fire and 43 residents were evacuated. The fire extinguishing rate stood at 60 percent as of 5 a.m., according to the Korea Forest Service.
The wildfire in Suncheon, meanwhile, has affected 382 ha of land, sending 89 villagers to evacuate.
Eight fire choppers were deployed after sunrise to bring the fire under control in Suncheon.
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