A major wildfire in Hamyang county, South Korea, has continued for three days as of January 23, 2026, marking the first significant wildfire of the year. The Forestry Agency is intensifying its efforts to control the main fire, as the location is at a steep elevation of 860m, making access challenging for firefighting vehicles and personnel. Wind conditions are unpredictable due to the mountainous terrain, complicating firefighting efforts. The agency is splitting the area into quadrants to manage the response more effectively and aims to bring the main fire under control before sunset on the same day.

As of noon on January 23, the affected area of the Hamyang wildfire has expanded to 232 hectares, with an 8.0 km fire line, of which 5.5 km has already been extinguished, leading to a containment rate of 69%. Fortunately, 164 residents were evacuated to secure locations, such as the Uiryeong Gymnasium, ensuring there have been no casualties. A total of 52 firefighting helicopters, 119 fire engines, and 820 personnel have been deployed to the site since sunrise on the same day, with aerial operations also utilizing 36,000 liters of fire retardant to prevent the spread towards inhabited areas.

The wildfire began on January 21 at 9:14 PM in the mountainous area of Machon-myeon, although the cause remains undetermined. The Forestry Agency has escalated the command authority over the fire response from the county head to the head of the Forestry Agency and activated the second phase of the wildfire response protocol due to the estimated damage area exceeding 100 hectares and high wind speeds. Conditions at the site have included wind gusts reaching 8.5 m/s, which initially lowered the containment rate from 66% to 32% overnight. With weather forecasts predicting rain or snow on January 24, officials remain hopeful that controlling the main fire on January 23 will allow them to address any lingering embers the following day.