20130414 Korea Border mountains catch fire
Korea Apr 14 2013 “Forest”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : 0 or unknown Injured : injured 0 or unknown
Border mountains catch fire
Updated: 2013-04-14-20:02
By Nam Hyun-woo
A forest fire broke out in the northern sector of the inter-Korean border Saturday and later spread into the southern sector Sunday. No major property damage or casualties were reported, military authorities said Sunday.
The blaze was first spotted on a North Korean mountain four kilometers north of the eastern edge of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in Goseong County at around 4:40 a.m., and spread south fanned by winds.
When the flames reached the wire fence of the Southern Limit Line at around 6:20 p.m., the South’s forest service dispatched two firefighting helicopters to extinguish them.
According to authorities, about 16 hours after the fire was spotted, some 600 personnel, including South Korean soldiers and civilian firefighters succeeded in containing the fire to the DMZ.
As of Sunday morning, the southern sector was covered in patches of smoke, and some small secondary fires were spotted. Fed by winds these headed toward the Unification Observatory, located on the eastern most tip of the border, Sunday afternoon.
The forest service increased the number of firefighting personnel and helicopters to contain the flames.
Forest fires often start in the North near the DMZ area but the exact causes are seldom discovered, officials said.
Military officials say that no injuries or property damage were reported and additional personnel will be dispatched to completely contain the blaze.
The size of the scorched area is estimated to be about 13 kilometers long, but the exact damage has not been confirmed.
The DMZ is the buffer zone between the two Koreas which are technically still at war as the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.
The latest fire comes amid recent mounting tension between the two Koreas, sparking suspicions that the Stalinist country started the fire intentionally as a military tactic.
Websouce:The Korea Times
http://koreatimes.co.kr/www/archive/ksearch.asp
Date:2013-04-14
Country:Korea