▲ A wildfire rages in the southern county of Hamyang in this undated photo provided by the Korea Forest Service. (Yonhap) (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)
▲ Prime Minister Kim Min-seok (R, seated) checks fire containment efforts at the Korea Forest Service's control center in the southern county of Hamyang on Feb. 23, 2026, in this photo provided by his office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

(LEAD) wildfire-southern county

(LEAD) Wildfire in southern Hamyang County rages for 3rd day

(ATTN: UPDATES with prime minister's visit; ADDS photo)

HAMYANG, South Korea, Feb. 23 (Yonhap) -- A wildfire in the southern county of Hamyang raged for the third day Monday as firefighters and forestry authorities raced to put out the main blaze within the day.

According to the Korea Forest Service, the fire has burned 190 hectares since it broke out around 9 p.m. Saturday, with the containment rate at 32 percent as of 5 a.m. Monday.

Forestry officials sent 105 firefighting cars and 603 personnel to the scene overnight to stop the blaze from spreading to residential areas, but the sloping terrain and strong winds have hampered the extinguishing effort.

After daybreak, 51 helicopters will be sent to the scene in succession, the service said.

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok visited the county in the early hours of Monday and checked authorities' firefighting efforts while encouraging on-site personnel, according to his office.

He stressed the full mobilization of available resources in an all-out containment effort and later visited local residents at an evacuation center set up at an indoor gym to promise them relief and support.

The forest service earlier ordered a Level 2 wildfire response at 10:30 p.m. Sunday, an order given when the damage is expected to exceed 100 hectares, the average wind speed tops 11 meters per second or containing the fire could take more than 48 hours.

The National Fire Agency also issued a national firefighting mobilization order at 11:14 p.m. the same day, a directive for when the scale of the fire is deemed to surpass the firefighting capacity of the local government.

(END)

[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]