A house burns in Goseong, South Korea. The fire likely started Thursday night from a transformer spark near a resort in the town of Goseong in Gangwon province about 210 kilometers (130 miles) northeast of Seoul and then spread to the nearby mountains, according to Choi Jin-ho, a fire captain at Gangwon Fire Headquarters. Lee Jong-geun/Yonhap via AP<doc-sep>SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of -- A forest fire burning in the mountainous region where South Korea hosted the 2018 Winter Olympics has destroyed 120 homes and caused two deaths, authorities said Friday as thousands of people fled. The fire likely started Thursday night from a transformer spark near a resort in the town of Goseong in Gangwon province about 210 kilometres (130 miles) northeast of Seoul and then spread to the nearby mountains, according to Choi Jin-ho, a fire captain at Gangwon Fire Headquarters. Videos posted to social media in South Korea showed tall flames shooting from large areas of forest, the air filled with embers and debris as cars drove by the raging fire. News photos showed a burnt-out bus, fire engulfing a hill, and residents evacuating apartment complexes and filing into gyms. Choi said nearly 2,400 people in Goseong and almost 1,250 in the town of Sokcho have been evacuated. He said a 60-year-old man and a woman in her 70s died. Strong winds spread the fire rapidly in the forested mountains, and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said about 250 hectares (1 square mile) of forest had burned as well as 120 homes. About 20 firefighting helicopters and 5,600 firefighting personnel were expected to be deployed Friday, the ministry said. The fire also spread toward Ganeung and Donghae, causing the temporary shutdown of a highway and delays in train services from Ganeung to Seoul. Another Gangwon fire official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of office rules, said at least 11 people were being treated for injuries. The official wouldn't comment on the nature of the injuries or how many were serious. The office of South Korean President Moon Jae-in said he held an emergency meeting early Friday and called for all available resources to be deployed. Moon instructed officials to aggressively inform and evacuate residents and also to consult with North Korea to fight the fire in case it spreads north of the border. Choi said nearly 800 firefighters were fighting the fire overnight, but they were having trouble because of the wind and darkness, which prevented the use of helicopters. Fire brigades from all major surrounding regions, including Seoul, were reportedly ordered to send trucks to help fight the blaze. Gangwon province governs Pyeongchang, the city that hosted the Winter Olympics more than a year ago.<doc-sep>SOUTH Korea's "biggest ever wildfire" has ripped through swathes of forest leaving at least two people dead and torching hundreds of homes close to the Winter Olympics host city. More than 4,000 people were also forced to flee as the inferno, fanned by strong winds, raged in the mountain region of Goseong. 12 The fire raged through the northeastern border town of Goseong, killing two people Credit: EPA 12 Thousands of firefighters are battling the inferno, which is believed to have started last night Credit: Handout - Getty A 60-year-old man was killed by the blaze, which has been described as the area's "largest disaster in years". A woman in her 70s also died after being struck by wide-angle mirror blown over by the high winds, reports AP. According to Yonhap News Agency, the South Korean government has declared a state of national disaster in the most-affected areas. Thousands of firefighters are involved in efforts to contain the fire, which also spread to the coastal city of Sokcho, a popular tourist hub. HOMES DESTROYED The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said fires in Goseong and Sokcho were fully extinguished. Strong winds also carried the blaze to the towns of Gangneung and Inje, but the ministry said fires in those areas were 70 to 80 per cent extinguished. The fire likely started Thursday night from a transformer spark near a resort in Goseong and then spread to the mountains, according to Choi Jin-ho, a fire captain at Gangwon Fire Headquarters. Gangwon province governs the Olympic host city of Pyeongchang and is about 210 kilometers (130 miles) northeast of Seoul. 12 Map showing the extent of how far the wildfire spread in South Korea 'LARGEST DISASTER IN YEARS' Videos posted to social media in South Korea showed tall flames rising from large areas of forest, the air filled with embers and debris as cars drove by the raging fire. News photos showed a burnt-out bus, fire engulfing a hill, and residents evacuating apartment complexes and filing into gyms. The region is close to the border with North Korea. South Korea's Unification Ministry said Friday it plans to inform North Korea of details about the forest fires. BLACKOUTS The ministry said 135 homes and more than 100 other buildings were burned. About 525 hectares (two square miles) of forest was estimated to have been destroyed. About 60 helicopters, 300 vehicles and 17,700 firefighting personnel were being deployed, the ministry said. The fire also caused blackouts in Goseong, disruptions in telephone and internet services, a temporary shutdown of a highway, and delays in train services from Gangneung to Seoul. Authorities said a 60-year-old man died because of the fire, and a woman in her 70s died after being hit by wide-angle mirror on a road that fell because of strong winds. most read in news BETRAYAL OF TRUST Woman, 22, 'lured off street by paramedic and gang raped in ambulance' Latest FERRY DISASTER More than 150 feared dead after overloaded ferry 'breaks in two' and sinks CLINGING TO LIFE Hotel owner left critical after catching deadly from Aussie mouse plague CRYPTO KILLER Bondage-obsessed Bitcoin trader ‘went crazy’ & strangled lover to death SLIPPERY CHARACTER Massive deadly snake lurks in Aussie back garden... can YOU spot it? LIVES DESTROYED 3 women die and pal loses baby in crash while celebrating end of lockdown Eleven people were treated for injuries. The government didn't comment on the nature of the injuries or how many were serious. The office of South Korean President Moon Jae-in said he called for all available resources to be deployed. The fire hasn't threatened the Olympic sports facilities, including the main venues in Pyeongchang, the alpine center in Jeongseon, and the skating centers in seaside Gangneung. We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.<doc-sep>SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea mobilised more than 15,000 firefighters and soldiers to help douse most of the wildfires that have killed one person and forced more than 4,000 to flee their homes, authorities said on Friday. Thursday’s fires broke out in the eastern province of Gangwon, razing about 525 hectares (1,297 acres) and about 134 homes, seven warehouses and other structures, the government said in a statement. Late on Friday, just 275 people remained in gymnasiums and schools, of more than 4,000 citizens who had been evacuated there. About 52 schools were closed. The fire in two areas in Gangwon has been contained, the government said, while about 80 percent of the fire in nearby Inje county was contained by Friday evening. The cause of the fire was suspected to be sparks triggered by power lines, the government said, without elaborating. President Moon Jae-in, who has ordered the use of all available resources to put out the fires, visited evacuation shelters and talked to victims. About 872 fire trucks and 3,251 firefighters from all over the country worked to contain the wildfire, the National Fire Agency said. The U.S. military said it supplied two helicopters with specialised buckets to drop water. Subsidies of about 4 billion won ($3.5 million) will fund the effort to rein in the fires and clear debris, while disaster relief funds of 250 million won ($220,000) will help accommodate evacuees and provide necessities, the interior ministry said.<doc-sep>
SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of -- Firefighters managed to extinguish most of a massive forest fire that ripped through South Korea's mountainous northern coast Friday, destroying 135 homes and forcing more than 4,000 to flee the region that hosted the 2018 Winter Olympics. One person was killed by what government officials said was possibly the country's biggest forest fire ever. Another person was fatally struck by an object blown over by the high winds fanning the flames. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said fires in in the county of Goseong and nearby coastal city of Sokcho were fully extinguished. Strong winds also carried the blaze to the towns of Gangneung and Inje, but the ministry said fires in those areas were 70 to 80% extinguished. The fire likely started Thursday night from a transformer spark near a resort in Goseong and then spread to the mountains, according to Choi Jin-ho, a fire captain at Gangwon Fire Headquarters. Gangwon province governs the Olympic host city of Pyeongchang and is about 210 kilometres (130 miles) northeast of Seoul. Videos posted to social media in South Korea showed tall flames rising from large areas of forest, the air filled with embers and debris as cars drove by the raging fire. News photos showed a burnt-out bus, fire engulfing a hill, and residents evacuating apartment complexes and filing into gyms. The region is close to the border with North Korea. South Korea's Unification Ministry said Friday it plans to inform North Korea of details about the forest fires. The ministry said 135 homes and more than 100 other buildings were burned. About 525 hectares (2 square miles) of forest was estimated to have been destroyed. About 60 helicopters, 300 vehicles and 17,700 firefighting personnel were being deployed, the ministry said. The fire also caused blackouts in Goseong, disruptions in telecommunications and internet services, a temporary shutdown of a highway, and delays in train services from Gangneung to Seoul. Authorities said a 60-year-old man died because of the fire, and a woman in her 70s died after being hit by wide-angle mirror on a road that fell because of strong winds. Eleven people were treated for injuries. The government didn't comment on the nature of the injuries or how many were serious. The office of South Korean President Moon Jae-in said he called for all available resources to be deployed. The fire hasn't threatened the Olympic sports facilities, including the main venues in Pyeongchang, the alpine centre in Jeongseon, and the skating centres in seaside Gangneung. ---- Associated Press writer Hyung-jin Kim contributed to this report.