Wildfire in southeastern city of Miryang rages for 2nd day; 51 pct contained

▲ This undated photo, provided by a reader, shows a wildfire burning in the southeastern city of Miryang. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ This undated photo, provided by the Korea Forest Service, shows firefighters battling a wildfire in the southeastern city of Miryang. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

wildfire-southeastern city

Wildfire in southeastern city of Miryang rages for 2nd day; 51 pct contained

MIRYANG, South Korea, Feb. 24 (Yonhap) -- A wildfire in the southeastern city of Miryang raged for the second day Tuesday as firefighters and forestry authorities raced to put it out with the break of day.

The fire was 51 percent contained at 5 a.m., nearly 13 hours after it started on a hill in the city some 280 kilometers southeast of Seoul, according to forestry officials.

The fire line is 5.8 kilometers long, of which 2.95 km has been extinguished, they said.

Immediately after sunrise, officials planned to send 31 firefighting helicopters to the scene to swiftly contain the main blaze.

More than 600 personnel and nearly 160 firefighting cars have already been mobilized in the containment effort.

A total of 184 people, including residents of three nearby villages and patients of long-term care hospitals, were evacuated overnight to their homes, community centers or an elementary school.

No casualties have been reported, though the fire has damaged at least 124 hectares of land.

The National Fire Agency has issued a national firefighting mobilization order, which is given when the scale of the fire is deemed to surpass the firefighting capacity of the local government.

Forestry authorities have also ordered a Level 2 wildfire response, which corresponds to 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.

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