[Photo] Fire consumes mountains near Goseong, Gangwon Province

A forest fire broke out near Goseong, Gangwon Province, on Apr. 4, consuming at least 235 buildings and forcing over 4,000 people to evacuate from their homes. Telecommunications base stations and repeaters were overrun by the fire, and roads and trains were blocked off. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on Apr. 5 that two have died from the fire, and that 4,011 so far have been evacuated from the area. Choi Jin-ho, a fire captain at Gangwon Fire Headquarters, said the fire likely started from a transformer spark in Goseong before spreading to the surrounding mountains. Although firefighters have managed to extinguish large parts of the fire, the battle with the flames is still ongoing. The national government and local governments have sent emergency relief supplies.