A major wildfire that erupted in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea, on Thursday afternoon was brought under control after six hours, officials said Friday. The blaze, which threatened a major national oil reserve facility, prompted evacuations of residents in Seosan and Yesan cities.
The fire initially broke out at approximately 1:35 PM local time on February 21st in Daesuk-eup, Seosan, and quickly spread towards the Daejuk Resource Storage Complex, according to the Korea Forest Service. Authorities issued a level 2 emergency response, deploying 19 helicopters, 62 vehicles, and 266 personnel to combat the flames. Concerns mounted as the fire neared the country’s largest oil storage facility.
Firefighters established defensive lines around the oil reserve, utilizing fire trucks and large-capacity water cannons to prevent the fire from reaching the complex. The quick action prevented any damage to the facility, officials confirmed. Simultaneously, a separate fire broke out in Yesan, Asan, and Nonsan, stretching resources across the province.
The Chungcheongnam-do provincial government reported that 65 residents in the vicinity of the Seosan fire were evacuated to village halls and other safe locations. As of Friday morning, no casualties had been reported. The fire in Seosan was declared contained at 6:30 PM, approximately five hours after it began, according to the Yonhap News Agency.
The cause of the Seosan fire has been traced to a farmer burning agricultural waste, with embers carried by strong winds igniting nearby dry vegetation. The Chungnam Fire Service has since downgraded the emergency response level to 1 and transitioned to a monitoring phase. Hong Jong-wan, the administrative vice governor of Chungcheongnam-do, visited the scene to oversee the response and coordinate with fire officials.
Whereas the main fires in Seosan and Yesan were contained, authorities continue to monitor for potential flare-ups. A separate fire in Yesan’s Daesul-myeon experienced a re-ignition, prompting evacuation orders for residents in the Songseok-ri area, according to KBS News. The situation remains fluid as dry conditions and strong winds persist across the region.