A wildfire spreads across a forested hillside in Yerim-ri, Sangnam-myeon, Miryang, on Tuesday around 12:29 p.m. [South Gyeongsang Province Fire Headquarters]
A wildfire spreads across a forested hillside in Yerim-ri, Sangnam-myeon, Miryang, on Tuesday around 12:29 p.m. [South Gyeongsang Province Fire Headquarters]

Wildfires, once concentrated in the dry winter months, are now breaking out in summer as a prolonged heat wave and drought parch forests across the region. Local governments in South Gyeongsang Province, Ulsan and other parts of the Yeongnam region have raised their alert levels and shifted to emergency footing as fire risk climbs in increasingly parched woodlands.

According to South Gyeongsang Province and Ulsan city officials, five wildfires — two in South Gyeongsang Province and three in Ulsan — have burned through forested land since July. Beyond the officially tallied fires, fire departments have been responding to a string of blazes that spread from trash burning near farms or the scorching of field ridges.

In South Gyeongsang Province, fires broke out in quick succession Tuesday around 12:29 p.m. on hillsides in Sangnam-myeon and Bubuk-myeon in Miryang. Forestry authorities are investigating the exact cause, with the possibility that the fires started during vegetation-clearing work at a forestry project site. Concerns briefly arose about evacuating residents near the Sangnam-myeon fire, but rapid initial suppression meant no evacuation order was issued.

In Ulju-gun, Ulsan, three fires erupted within 10 days — starting in Dudong-myeon on July 24 and spreading to areas around Onyang-eup and Cheongnyang-eup — burning a combined 0.61 hectares. Local authorities say that even after the monsoon season, the lack of meaningful rainfall has left fallen leaves, weeds and dry branches inside forests in a highly combustible state.

Rainfall over the past month has fallen far short of historical averages. Miryang recorded just 56 millimeters — only 18.9 percent of its average of 296.7 millimeters — while Ulsan received 28.0 millimeters, just 12 percent of its average of 234.1 millimeters. South Gyeongsang Province forestry officials say an unprecedented heat wave compounding the drought has rapidly dried out forests, significantly raising the risk that even a small spark could ignite a wildfire.

A seasonal gap in helicopter availability — the biggest variable in summer wildfire response — is being addressed through inter-agency cooperation. South Gyeongsang Province's contracts for 10 chartered helicopters used in the spring expired June 17, leaving the province without its own aerial firefighting capacity until October. To compensate, the province has activated an emergency joint-response system drawing on nine Korea Forest Service helicopters and three fire department helicopters, for a total of 12 aircraft.

Safety measures for firefighters deployed in extreme heat are also being strengthened. South Gyeongsang Province plans to assign dedicated safety and health managers, guarantee mandatory rest periods, and strictly enforce heat-illness prevention protocols including the provision of cold water and electrolytes.

Ulsan city has also recently sent official notices to its five district and county offices, ordering them to step up enforcement against illegal open burning and to re-inspect personnel and equipment in preparation for wildfires.

Lee Jae-cheol, director of South Gyeongsang Province's environment and forestry bureau, said the threat of wildfires cannot be taken lightly even in summer, and called on residents to refrain from illegal burning and to report fires promptly.


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