Wildfire in Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang, Likely Caused by Grave Visitor; 0.05ha Burned and Contained in 1 Hour

A wildfire broke out on the afternoon of September 12, 2026, at 1:39 p.m. in a mountain area in Hodang-ri, Cheongtong-myeon, Yeongcheon-si, North Gyeongsang Province.

Yonhap News Agency

The forestry authorities, Yeongcheon-si, and the fire department urgently deployed one helicopter and approximately 50 personnel, successfully extinguishing the fire in about one hour, by 2:40 p.m.

According to the city of Yeongcheon, approximately 0.05 hectares of forest were lost in the wildfire.

A city official stated, "We suspect the fire was accidentally started by a visitor who had come for ancestral grave maintenance ahead of Chuseok," adding, "We are currently investigating the exact cause of the fire and the extent of the damage."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.