MT. INWANG FIRE EXTINGUISHED

[Anchor Lead]

A large wildfire also broke out at Inwangsan in Seoul. No casualties occurred, and the fire has now been completely extinguished.

[Pkg]

A small fire is spotted halfway up the mountain and a plume of smoke rises to the sky. A wildfire broke out at Inwangsan Mountain at 11:50 a.m. Sunday. The fire started about halfway up the mountain but strong winds fanned the flames, causing a second stage fire alert to be issued at one time.

[Soundbite] Lee(Seoul resident) : "The smoke went up about 50 meters."

Police officers and firefighters banned hikers from entering the mountain area and evacuated some 120 homes affected by heavy smoke.

[Soundbite] Moon Dong-il(Seoul resident) : "The wind was blowing hard in Buam-dong, so residents evacuated toward Inwang Middle School."

The main fire was put out five hours later and the fire alert was downgraded to the first stage. All the residents returned home safe and unhurt but roughly 15 hectares, about the size of 20 football fields, were burned. The forest and fire authorities put out the remaining embers overnight and sent three helicopters at dawn. The Seoul city government, overseeing the firefighting effort, said that as of 11:00 a.m. Monday, the fire had been extinguished 100%. Fire authorities and the city government are looking into a range of causes for the fire, from an accident to a possible arson.