Ulsan: The South Korean government declared a state of national disaster Saturday following massive wildfires that have engulfed Ulsan city and surrounding southeastern regions. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that the measure took effect in Ulsan city, North Gyeongsang Province, and South Gyeongsang Province as of 6 p.m.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the decision to declare a state of disaster came after acting President Choi Sang-mok recommended the issuance of the declaration to facilitate comprehensive measures for combating the disaster and aiding recovery efforts. Choi further directed government officials to consider designating the affected areas as special disaster zones for additional support.
The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, led by acting Interior Minister Ko Ki-dong, commenced operations shortly before the declaration. This decision was driven by multiple wildfires reported in Ulsan city and other southeastern counties, including Sancheong County, where eight villages were placed under evacuation orders due to strong winds hampering firefighting efforts since the fire erupted on Friday afternoon.
More than 260 villagers have been displaced, seeking refuge in temporary shelters. The blaze in the region had been 35 percent contained by 5 p.m., a significant decrease from 70 percent earlier in the day, attributed to strong winds. Tragically, two firefighters were reported dead, with two others missing and six injured, as stated by the county office.
Acting President Choi personally visited the site earlier in the day, instructing relevant agencies to exert maximum effort to deploy all possible equipment and personnel to extinguish the blaze before sunset. He emphasized the importance of ensuring the safety of residents and firefighting authorities on the scene, and stressed the need for seamless preparations should the fire continue into the night.
In a related incident, a wildfire in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang Province, broke out affecting 300 hectares of forest. Firefighters managed to extinguish 4 percent of the blaze by 5 p.m., with approximately 500 villagers displaced. Train operations through the affected region were temporarily halted.
Another fire in Ulju County in western Ulsan prompted the evacuation of around 80 residents. Meanwhile, the Korea Forest Service elevated the wildfire emergency level to its highest, as 16 wildfires were reported nationwide amid strong winds.