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| The forest fire in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, has flared again, covering the mountains with smoke and flames, Monday. / Yonhap |
By Lee Han-soo
Strong winds have reignited the forest fire that started at Gangneung on Saturday and seemed to have been extinguished the following day.
The fire flared again near Seongsan and Gangneung on Monday, causing nearby residents in Gangwon Province to evacuate.
The Korea Forest Service (KFS) deployed 19 helicopters and 5,900 ground personnel to fight the blaze.
"We are putting out the reignited fires but the wind is so strong that we had to evacuate residents to a safety zone in case of emergency," a KFS official told Yonhap news agency.
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"The flames calmed down somewhat after we set up a line of defense, but the wind blew so hard that it is difficult even to open the doors of our vehicles."
The KFS has also been struggling to put out a forest fire near Samcheok, south of Gangneung, also because of strong winds.
More than 100 hectares of forest and two houses have been destroyed.
The KFS deployed more than a dozen helicopters and 3,000 people to control the fire, but strong winds made it difficult.
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| A firefighter battles the blaze in Gangneung, Monday. / Yonhap |
Meanwhile, Gangneung police closed off a 13-kilometer section of the old Yeongdong Expressway from Gusan Samgeori to Daegwallyeong at 9:20 p.m. Sunday.
"We have closed a section of the highway due to smoke from the forest fire shrouding the roads," said a police official. "The traffic control will be lifted after the fire has subsided."
A mechanic aboard a helicopter fighting the blaze at Samcheok died on Monday when the helicopter became entangled in a high-voltage line and made an emergency landing.
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