Farm fire breaks out in South Gyeongsang, contained after four hours

A fire that broke out at a farm shed in Jinju, South Gyeongsang, spread to a nearby wooded hill on Thursday, carried by strong winds. Forestry authorities said the main blaze was brought under control after nearly four hours of firefighting.

Forestry authorities battle a fire after flames break out at a farm shed used as a storage space in Jiphyeon-myeon, Jinju, South Gyeongsang, and spread to a nearby wooded hill on Jan. 22. [NORTH GYEONGSANG FIRE SERVICE HEADQUARTERS]

A fire that broke out at a farm shed in Jinju, South Gyeongsang, spread to a nearby wooded hill on Thursday, carried by strong winds. Forestry authorities said the main blaze was brought under control after nearly four hours of firefighting.

The fire was reported at around 1:21 p.m. on a wooded hill in Jiphyeon-myeon, Jinju, according to the Korea Forest Service and the South Gyeongsang Fire Service Headquarters.

Because a transmission tower with high-voltage power lines runs near the site, authorities had difficulty using helicopters for aerial firefighting. A total of 13 helicopters, 44 fire engines and 168 personnel were deployed, and the main fire was extinguished at around 5:06 p.m., about three hours and 45 minutes after it was reported.

About 60 residents were evacuated. Jinju issued an emergency evacuation order for Naengjeong village, near the fire site. Fire officials said 61 residents from three areas, including Naengjeong, took shelter at places such as village halls before returning home after the flames were brought under control.

Forestry authorities said they believed the fire started at a nearby farm shed used as a storage space and then spread to the hill. At the time, winds were measured at 4.6 meters (15 feet) per second. Authorities said they planned to investigate the exact cause, the affected area and property damage after completing mop-up operations.

Forestry authorities battle a fire after flames break out at a farm shed used as a storage space in Jiphyeon-myeon, Jinju, South Gyeongsang, and spread to a nearby wooded hill on Jan. 22. [KOREA FOREST SERVICE]

A fire that began at a tile factory also spread to a nearby wooded area in Gijang, Busan on Wednesday. Forestry authorities said they contained that blaze after more than 13 hours of overnight firefighting, prompting the evacuation of about 30 guests at a nearby resort.

The Korea Forest Service urged the public to strictly manage fire risks and refrain from illegal burning of trash or agricultural waste, warning that even small sparks could spread into large wildfires.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY AHN DAE-HUN [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]