Wildfire Reignites in South Korea

(MENAFN) A wildfire that first ignited on Monday in the southeastern city of Daegu, South Korea, rekindled on Wednesday, triggering evacuation warnings for nearby communities and prompting a countrywide emergency response effort.

The fire initially erupted on Mount Hamji, located in northern Daegu—about 230 kilometers southeast of the capital, Seoul—during Monday afternoon.

It was nearly extinguished 23 hours later by Tuesday afternoon, after scorching approximately 260 hectares of terrain and forcing more than 2,000 individuals to leave their homes.

Despite being under control, the flames re-emerged Tuesday evening in parts of the same mountainous area.

According to the media, the blaze has been expanding since it reignited. Based on data from the Korea Forest Service (KFS), the active fire front now extends close to 2.1 kilometers (roughly 1.3 miles).

At approximately 5:13 p.m. local time on Wednesday (0813 GMT), authorities delivered an urgent alert, advising residents nearby to evacuate as a preventive measure.

In response, nearly 190 workers and 41 firefighting helicopters were dispatched to combat the flames.

This incident follows a deadly wildfire the previous month in Gyeongsang Province, where at least 30 lives were lost and around 40 people suffered injuries.

That inferno displaced thousands and required 10 days to fully extinguish.

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