Uiseong: Authorities ordered firefighters and some residents to evacuate as wildfires in the southeastern county of Uiseong are expected to spread to other regions amid a forecast for strong wind, officials said Monday. The county of Uiseong in North Gyeongsang Province issued an emergency text alert at 2:34 p.m. ordering firefighters in the mountains to flee to a safe location.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the measures came amid a forecast for strong wind with a maximum wind speed of up to 15 meters per second in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province in the afternoon. A local weather forecaster noted that while the wind is not expected to meet the criteria for heavy wind alerts, which require a maximum wind speed exceeding 20 mph, it is still considered strong.
In response to the situation, the county of Uiseong sent out text messages to residents, advising them to take shelter at designated elementary schools, community halls, and gymnasiums. The nearby city of Andong also took precautionary measures, ordering the immediate evacuation of its residents in some regions to nearby schools.