Firefighters have waged an uphill battle on Tuesday to contain a wildfire on a mountain in South Korean city of Daegu that forced more than 2,000 people to flee their homes, Yonhap News Agency reported.
No casualties have been reported so far since the fire broke out Monday afternoon on Mount Hamji in northern Daegu, some 230 kilometers southeast of Seoul, and quickly spread to neighboring villages, fueled by strong winds.
Authorities issued the highest-level wildfire response later that day and launched a large-scale firefighting effort.
By 8 a.m. Tuesday, 82 percent of the fire had been contained, according to the Korea Forest Service. The blaze has scorched an estimated 260 hectares and 2 kilometers of fire line are still active, it added.
Firefighters deployed more than 50 helicopters and about 1,400 personnel as operations resumed at sunrise.
Fire officials said the calm morning winds provided a critical window to slow the wildfire’s spread before stronger winds were expected later in the day.
Traffic restrictions at a highway interchange near the fire zone were lifted early Tuesday as conditions stabilized.
Officials said they hope to contain the main fire by the end of the day, with a better assessment of whether the fire would continue to spread expected around 10 a.m.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.