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Mercedes fire engines prove gamechangers in battle against Korean wildfires

Published: 02 Apr. 2025, 18:02 Updated: 02 Apr. 2025, 19:05

LEE SOO-JUNG
[email protected]

A high-performance specialized fire extinguishing truck is seen in a photo taken on March 25, when a wildfire engulfed Andong City in North Gyeongsang. [KOREA FOREST SERVICE]

A total of 29 specialized and high-performance fire engines manufactured by Mercedes-Benz — with a price tag of 750 million won (about $511,500) each — emerged as powerful tools in containing the recent wildfires that devastated the country's southeastern region.

“If it were not for high-performance fire engines, the wildfires would have lasted longer,” said Park Jun-ho, an aerial firefighter with 20 years of experience from the Korea Forest Service. Park joined the battle against a wildfire that began in Sancheong County in South Gyeongsang.

Mercedes-Benz's Unimog fire engines have water hoses with wider diameters and larger water tanks than regular ones. These specialized fire engines can carry 3,500 liters (924 gallons) of water — three to four times more than an ordinary fire engine.

Park said the specialized fire trucks “can kill flames in a second when a normal engine would take five minutes to extinguish them.”

“Flames that helicopters failed to extinguish despite three or four days of effort were contained in a day when the fire engines shot water at them through their bigger, more powerful water jets,” Park said.

The fire hoses attached to the specialized fire engines have 25- or 40-millimeter faucets. The diameter of fire hoses attached to regular fire engines is around 12 millimeters.

The hoses on the specialized fire engines can also be extended to about 2 kilometers — double the length of regular fire engines. This enabled firefighters to shoot water at the exact spot where the flames were active.

Although the Sancheong fire burned some 130 hectares (half a square mile) in the Jirisan National Park, the firefighters prevented the blaze from reaching Cheonwang Peak, the highest point in the park at 1,915.4 meters (6,284 feet).

A high-performance fire extinguishing truck disperses water on flames in Andong City in North Gyeongsang on March 25. [KOREA FOREST SERVICE]

According to firefighters who battled the wildfire that scorched 1,858 hectares in South Gyeongsang, specialized fire engines on the ground were more effective than helicopters in the air.

The Sancheong fire began on March 21, and its main flame was contained on March 30, marking it the second-longest wildfire in recorded Korean history.

Flames on a mountain ridge connecting nearby Mount Gugok to the national park were reportedly the most challenging to contain. Dead leaves — piled nearly a meter high — prevented water dropped by helicopters from soaking the ground. Unabsorbed water evaporated quickly due to the wildfire's heat and dry air.

Although water dumped by helicopters weakened the flames, it was not enough to extinguish them. Strong winds fueled the flames, making them more powerful.

Hazy atmospheric conditions — combined with smoke and fog — also prevented full-scale aerial efforts to contain the blaze.

While fire authorities expected that they could deploy a U.S. Army’s Chinook CH-47 helicopter -— which can hold up to 5,000 liters of water — on March 27, rain clouds created low visibility and grounded the aircraft. The Chinook was mobilized the following day on March 28.

In the daytime, the dense forest and fog hindered pilots from approaching closer to the exact spot of the active flames.

In this challenging situation, the specialized fire truck made by Mercedes-Benz was a game changer. The trucks with extendable hoses enabled firefighters to locate the exact spot of the flames and precisely shoot water at it.

The forest authority mobilized 29 specialized fire engines to contain the two wildfires that ravaged the Gyeongsang provinces — the Sancheong fire in North Gyeongsang and the Uiseong fire in South Gyeongsang.

A high-performance specialized fire engine is deployed to contain a wildfire began in South Gyeongsang in 2023. [KOREA FOREST SERVICE]

The Korea Forest Service began introducing the specialized fire trucks in 2023.

As the fire trucks proved their capability in recent wildfires, the forest authorities decided to move up its purchasing schedule and equip itself with three more specialized fire engines this year. The Korea Forest Service originally planned to add the three engines by 2027.

Park trained firefighters nationwide to use the specialized fire engines, instructing them on stretching water hoses on mountainous terrain. Park said the training helped unacquainted firefighters carry out fire-extinguishing missions without teamwork difficulties.

On Wednesday, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced one more death from the wildfires after a person injured in the Sancheong wildfire died. The total casualty count stands at 75 — 31 deaths and 44 injuries.

BY AN DAE-HUN, KIM MIN-JU, LEE SOO-JUNG [[email protected]]