Hundreds flee as wildfire sweeps through South Korean city

Blaze may have been caused by wind-damaged pine tree touching electric wire, authorities say

Hundreds of people were forced out of their homes in South Korea’s Gangneung after a wildfire accompanied by strong winds raged through the coastal city.

Over 700 firefighters and 300 vehicles were dispatched to fight the fire that started on a mountain in a central part of Gangneung on Tuesday, according to Gangwon province governor Kim Jin-tae and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

More than 800 residents and tourists of the city, located 168km east of Seoul, were evacuated and taken to nearby shelters that included an ice-skating arena and a middle school gym.

An elderly man died inside his home that was gutted by the wildfire and 12 were left injured, reported South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, citing police and firefighters.

The wildfire was brought under control on Tuesday.

The fire started at about 8.30am in Gangneung’s Nangok-dong district, following a combination of high wind and dry weather warnings issued earlier for the region by the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).

The blaze was put out by 4.30pm, partly aided by a heavy spell of rain in the afternoon.

Earlier on Tuesday, typhoon-class strong winds blew over Gangneung and other east coast areas in Gangwon province.

The wildfire spread quickly due to the winds and burnt 379 hectares of woodland, the equivalent of 530 football fields, 40 homes, 28 pension houses and three hotels, according to city fire officials cited by Yonhap.

Authorities said the wildfire may have been caused by a wind-damaged pine tree touching an electric wire before spreading to the nearby forest.

President Yoon Suk-yeol said officials had been instructed to deploy “all available equipment and personnel” to swiftly extinguish the wildfire and evacuate residents to prevent the loss of life.

The KMA also warned of strong winds in other parts of the country, including central inland and western and southern coastal areas.

The agency said the unusual weather conditions occurred due to the location of the Korean Peninsula between high pressure to the south and low pressure to the north.