A wildfire that broke out on the 106th hill of Angok-ri, Hallim-myeon, Gimhae City, at 2:03 PM on the 22nd, continues for the third day. Despite efforts from authorities, the fire was not completely extinguished by sunset on the 24th, and officials are working tirelessly to contain it.

The Central Wildfire Prevention Headquarters of the Korea Forest Service reported a 97% containment rate as of 6 PM on the 24th. However, the Gimhae City On-Site Integrated Command Center announced a 95% containment rate, indicating ongoing difficulties in extinguishing the fire.

The Central Disaster Management Headquarters of the Korea Forest Service suspects the cause of the wildfire to be "careless incineration of waste." As of 6 PM on the 24th, the affected area is estimated to be 97 hectares, with a total fire line of 6 kilometers. Currently, firefighting efforts are focused on a 0.18-kilometer section, while the remaining 5.82 kilometers have been contained. The current weather conditions include a south wind of 2.3 m/s (maximum wind speed of 2-12 m/s), a temperature of 17.9 degrees Celsius, and a humidity of 55%.

Due to strong winds, 23 residents from Angok and Jungri villages in Hallim-myeon were evacuated to the village hall at 2 AM on the 24th. Previously, on the night of the 22nd, 148 residents from Najeon village in Saengnim-myeon were also evacuated, raising concerns among residents.

Kim Young-soo, the head of Jungri village in Angok-ri, Hallim-myeon, stated, "This is the largest wildfire I've experienced in my four generations of living in this village," and mentioned he stayed up all night. Residents were worried about potential damage to homes and temples, but fortunately, no significant damage has been reported.

Park Wan-soo, the Governor of Gyeongsangnam-do, visited the wildfire site on the morning of the 24th and pledged to "provide helicopter support until the fire is completely extinguished." Hong Tae-yong, the Mayor of Gimhae City, stated, "We are concerned about the forecast of stronger winds in the afternoon, but we will do our best to extinguish the fire as soon as possible."

[Copyright (c) Global Economic Times. All Rights Reserved.]