Seoul Firefighters Contain Guryong Village Blaze, Evacuate Over 250 Residents
Updated (6 articles)
Fire Ignites Early Morning in Guryong Village The blaze started around 5 a.m. on Jan 16 in an unoccupied house in Guryong, a low‑income settlement on Seoul’s southern edge. Firefighters brought the main fire under control by 11:34 a.m. and fully extinguished it by 1:28 p.m. No casualties were reported [1][2].
Evacuation Displaces Over Two Hundred Residents Authorities evacuated 258 people, with about 180 homes destroyed and roughly 200 residents left homeless. A temporary shelter was opened at a nearby middle school to house displaced families while assessments continue [1][2].
Massive Firefighting Mobilization Deployed Seoul dispatched 1,258 personnel and 106 firefighting units, while additional reports note 297 firefighters and 85 vehicles were on scene, with helicopters considered but delayed by low visibility [1][3][4].
Interior Minister Orders Full Mobilization and Safety Checks Interior Minister Yun Ho‑jung directed all agencies to mobilize resources, ordered checks on empty houses, and emphasized firefighter safety during evacuation and suppression efforts [2][3][4].
Investigation Highlights Flammable Materials and Early Report Discrepancies Officials attribute rapid spread to thermal‑cotton and plywood construction common in the shanty town. Early coverage cited about 50 evacuees, later reports confirmed over 250, reflecting evolving information as the incident unfolded [3][4].
Separate Uiseong County Wildfire Contained Within Hours On Jan 10, a hillside wildfire in Uiseong County was contained by 6 p.m. after a Level 2 response deployed 10 helicopters, 51 vehicles and 315 personnel; nearby residents were evacuated to community centers, and the cause remains under investigation [5][6].
Sources
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1.
Yonhap: Fire displaces about 200 residents in Guryong village displaces about 200 residents; blaze extinguished: Details the 5 a.m. start, 1,258 responders, 106 units, 258 evacuees, 180 homes lost, and temporary shelter at a middle school .
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2.
Yonhap: Fire displaces about 200 in Seoul's Guryong village as main blaze contained: Confirms containment by 11:34 a.m., 1,258 personnel, 106 vehicles, minister Yun Ho‑jungs orders, and background on the village’s redevelopment status .
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3.
Yonhap: Fire in Guryong village forces about 50 residents to evacuate in southern Seoul: Reports initial 50 evacuees, 297 firefighters, 85 vehicles, helicopter plans, and elevated response at 8:49 a.m. .
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4.
Yonhap: Fire in Guryong village prompts evacuation of about 50 in Seoul: Mirrors earlier figures of ~50 evacuees, 297 responders, level‑1 response at 5:10 a.m., and emphasizes the village’s precarious housing conditions .
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5.
Yonhap: Main Uiseong wildfire contained within three hours: Describes the Jan 10 hillside fire, containment by 6 p.m., Level 2 response, 10 helicopters, 315 personnel, and evacuation of residents .
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6.
Yonhap: Level 2 wildfire response and evacuation order issued in Uiseong County: Highlights the same Jan 10 wildfire, activation of Level 2 at 3:41 p.m., deployment details, weather challenges, and ongoing cause investigation .
Timeline
Jan 10, 2026 – A wildfire erupts on a hillside in Uiseong County, North Gyeongsang Province at about 3:15 p.m., prompting authorities to activate a Level 2 response at 3:41 p.m. and deploy 10 helicopters, 51 fire‑suppression vehicles and 315 firefighters [6].
Jan 10, 2026 – Strong winds and low humidity (33 %) challenge aerial operations, but snowfall later that afternoon slows the blaze, allowing Governor Kim Joo‑soo to confirm that the main fire is contained by 6 p.m. and that crews will extinguish remaining embers overnight [5].
Jan 10, 2026 – The government issues evacuation orders for nearby residents, directing them to community centers, while investigators launch a probe into the fire’s cause, which remains undetermined [5][6].
Jan 10, 2026 – Officials note that the Uiseong wildfire occurs less than a year after a major blaze swept the same region in the spring of 2025, underscoring lingering vulnerability to forest fires [6].
Jan 16, 2026 – A fire breaks out around 5 a.m. in an unoccupied house in Guryong village, a low‑income shanty town on the fringe of Seoul’s Gangnam district, igniting nearby makeshift homes built with thermal cotton and plywood [2][3][4].
Jan 16, 2026 – Seoul dispatches an initial crew of 297 firefighters and 85 vehicles, then escalates the effort to 1,258 personnel and 106 firefighting units as the blaze spreads toward a nearby mountain and the village’s fifth district [3][2][1].
Jan 16, 2026 – Interior Minister Yun Ho‑jung orders a full mobilization of agencies, directs safety checks of empty houses, and emphasizes protecting firefighters during evacuation and suppression operations [2][3][4].
Jan 16, 2026 – Authorities evacuate 258 residents, with about 180 losing their homes; a temporary shelter opens at a nearby middle school to house displaced families [1][2].
Jan 16, 2026 – The main blaze is brought under control by late morning (around 11:34 a.m., with final containment reported by 1:28 p.m.), and no casualties are reported [2][1].
Jan 16, 2026 – Guryong village, formed in the 1980s after redevelopment displaced residents, remains Seoul’s last slum in the affluent Gangnam area and is slated for future redevelopment, highlighting the city’s ongoing housing inequality [1][2][3][4].