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Mount Hamji in Buk District, Daegu, burns on the morning of April 29, the second day of a massive wildfire. / Photo by Bae Cheol-wan

A wildfire that broke out on Mount Hamji in Nogok-dong, Buk District, Daegu, at around 2:01 p.m. on April 28 spread rapidly to neighboring Joya-dong, prompting an all-night firefighting effort by authorities.

Officials issued a Level 2 wildfire response and launched full-scale containment efforts, but the situation escalated by 6 p.m., prompting a shift to a Level 3 response and nighttime firefighting operations.

The blaze spread quickly due to dry weather and strong winds, leading to the closure of the Buk-Daegu Interchange entrances and exits as well as several bridges.

Currently, 1,216 residents from 899 households have been evacuated. Authorities have distributed emergency relief kits and tents, while the Daegu Red Cross is providing meals for evacuees. The city of Daegu has also completed preemptive evacuations of vulnerable facilities for the elderly to minimize casualties.

More than 1,500 personnel and 398 pieces of equipment have been mobilized for nighttime firefighting operations. From early morning on April 29, 51 helicopters are set to join the firefighting effort from the air.

As of 5 a.m. on April 29, the fire was 60 percent contained, with 7.1 kilometers of the total 11.8-kilometer fire line extinguished.

Kim Jeong-gi, acting mayor of Daegu, said, "We are mobilizing all available resources to respond with maximum effort," adding, "Above all, we are prioritizing the safety of residents, nighttime firefighters, and helicopter pilots. We will do our utmost to extinguish the wildfire quickly through close cooperation among all relevant agencies."

Meanwhile, due to the wildfire, three schools—Seongbuk Elementary School, Seobyeon Elementary School, and Seobyeon Middle School—will be closed on April 29, along with two kindergartens. The Daegu Metropolitan Office of Education plans to monitor the fire situation and will decide later whether to close additional schools.