SEOUL, Jan. 10 (Bernama-Yonhap) -- South Korean authorities on Saturday issued a Level 2 wildfire response and an evacuation order for residents in a rural area after a wildfire broke out, Yonhap News Agency reported.
A large wildfire erupted on a hillside in Uiseong County, North Gyeongsang Province, at around 3:15 p.m., less than a year after a major blaze swept through the area last spring, according to authorities.
The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.
Authorities issued the Level 2 response at 3:41 p.m. and deployed 10 helicopters, 51 fire suppression vehicles and 315 firefighters and other personnel.
Some of the helicopters, however, reportedly have not taken off due to strong winds.
The government issued an evacuation order instructing nearby residents to move to their respective village community centres as the fire spread rapidly amid the strong winds.
Humidity at the site of the fire was measured at 33 per cent.
"An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway, and the government will deploy all available resources to prevent casualties," a forest official said.
-- BERNAMA-YONHAP
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