The main blaze of a wildfire in the southeastern city of Miryang was extinguished on Tuesday noon. The fire, which started Monday afternoon, affected 143 hectares some 280 kilometers southeast of Seoul, leading to the evacuation of 184 residents and patients. Rain and firefighting efforts helped contain it.
A wildfire broke out on a hill in the southeastern city of Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province, on the afternoon of Monday, February 23, 2026, and continued into Tuesday. According to forestry officials, the fire was 51 percent contained as of 5 a.m. Tuesday, nearly 13 hours after ignition, with a fire line stretching 5.8 kilometers, of which 2.95 kilometers had been extinguished.
Immediately after sunrise, plans called for deploying 31 firefighting helicopters, but ultimately more than 1,500 personnel, 52 helicopters, and 318 pieces of equipment were mobilized. Morning rain assisted the containment efforts. The main blaze was fully extinguished at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The fire damaged an estimated 143 hectares, equivalent to the size of 200 football fields, but no casualties or damage to facilities were reported. A total of 184 people, including residents from three nearby villages and patients from long-term care hospitals, were evacuated to their homes, community centers, or an elementary school overnight.
The National Fire Agency issued a national firefighting mobilization order, deeming the fire's scale to exceed local government's capacity. Forestry authorities ordered a Level 2 wildfire response, applicable when damage exceeds 100 hectares, average wind speed tops 11 meters per second, or containment is expected to take more than 48 hours.
