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Gyeongsang residents grapple with 'wildfire trauma'

Published: 29 Apr. 2025, 15:15

Daegu residents affected by the wildfire on Mount Hamji take refuge at Paldal Elementary School in Buk District on April 29. [NEWS1]

Midmorning on Tuesday, the gymnasium of Paldal Elementary School in Daegu’s Buk District was filled wall to wall with small tents hastily erected the night before. Inside and around the gym, residents who fled the wildfire raging near their homes paced anxiously or sat quietly with worry etched on their faces.

About 250 people have taken shelter in the makeshift evacuation center. Among them was 71-year-old Kim Jae-jeong, a resident of Joya-dong.

“Yesterday afternoon, I was at home when smoke started pouring from the mountain nearby,” Kim said. “I thought the fire would be put out quickly, so I stayed put. Then government workers knocked on my door, telling me to evacuate. I barely managed to get out with just the clothes on my back.”

Kim, who escaped with only a phone, spent a sleepless night, unnerved by the howling winds and the fear that the house might burn down.

“I’m worried about whether the Gimhae Kim clan’s ancestral shrine located on the mountain in Joya-dong survived the fire,” Kim added.

A resident affected by the wildfire on Mount Hamji in Daegu rests at a tent prepared at an evacuation center in Paldal Elementary School in Buk District on April 29. [NEWS1]

Daegu city authorities ordered the evacuation of about 6,500 residents from 3,514 households across Nogok-dong, Joya-dong and Seobyeon-dong, guiding 661 people to seven designated shelters in nearby elementary and middle schools. Others found refuge with family and friends.

At Nogok-dong near the wildfire’s origin, residents wandered the streets, checking on their homes from early morning. Helicopters hovered constantly overhead, their engines roaring as they fought to control the blaze. Although the heavy smoke that had blanketed the village the day before had mostly cleared, the acrid smell of burning wood lingered.

Kim Soon-hee, 87, had fled to a relative’s home in Dalseo District the previous night, but rushed back at sunrise to see if her home was safe.

“Thankfully, the fire didn’t reach my house, but it’s still smoldering nearby. I’m scared it could flare up again,” Kim said.

Authorities had set up firebreaks across six directions, including Nogok-dong, Gwaneum-dong, Joya-dong and Seobyeon-dong, to keep the flames from spreading to residential areas. Firefighters and emergency workers continued efforts through the night and into the morning to contain the wildfire.

Volunteers also mobilized quickly. Moon Yu-soon, 61, head of the Saemaeul Women's Association in Gwanmun-dong, helped residents evacuate and assisted in setting up tents at the shelter — even though her own neighborhood faced wildfire threats.

“We focused on getting people out fast and making sure they had shelter,” she said.

A firefighting helicopter on April 29 fights the fire at Mount Hamji in Daegu that started the day before. [NEWS1]

Residents across Daegu and North Gyeongsang have been on edge for weeks, suffering what many are calling “wildfire trauma” after repeated blazes during this year’s unusually dry spring.

Last month, a wildfire that started in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang, spread across Andong, Cheongsong, Yeongyang and Yeongdeok over a week, leaving the worst fire damage the region has known. Since then, dry conditions have fueled a string of fires across the region.

On Saturday, wildfires erupted simultaneously in four locations — Gyeongju, Pohang, Yeongju and Bonghwa. The same day Daegu’s fire broke out, a blaze also hit Yeongyang, although authorities contained it within 44 minutes.

While many fires have been extinguished quickly, strong winds have kept residents in a state of constant anxiety. Disaster alert texts sent when new fires break out now trigger instant alarm among residents.

Lee Ji-yoon, 39, who lives in Maechon-dong, about 2.5 kilometers from the current Daegu fire, said stress levels have spiked.

“A month ago, my relatives in Andong lost so much in a big wildfire,” Lee said. “Now helicopters are swarming Daegu. It feels like there’s no safe place anymore. I don't know when or where a wildfire might break out — it’s extremely stressful.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY KIM JUNG-SEOK [[email protected]]