A request that this article title be changed to 2019 Goseong fire is under discussion. Please do not move this article until the discussion is closed. |
Goseong Fire of 2019 | |
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Date(s) | April 4, 2019 – April 6, 2019 |
Location | Goseong County, South Korea |
Statistics[1] | |
Burned area | 1,260 acres (5.1 km2) |
Impacts | |
Deaths | 2 |
Non-fatal injuries | 30 |
Structures destroyed | Over 2,000 |
Damage | $4.6 million USD |
Ignition | |
Cause | High-voltage power line |
The Goseong Fire of 2019 was a fire in Goseong County, South Korea on April 4–6, 2019 that spread to the cities of Sokcho, Inje, Donghae and Gangneung leading to two deaths, over 30 injuries and the evacuation of over 4,000 residents.[2]
The cause of the fire was an extra high-voltage wire owned by KEPCO that fell due to high winds which led to an electric arc.[3] On April, 20, 2023 KEPCO was found to be liable for the fire and ordered to pay $6.6 millon (USD) to evacuees. In January 2023, seven current and former KEPCO employees were acquitted of charges related to safety failures. [4]
The fire damaged over 200 homes and over 2,000 buildings causing estimated damages of $4.6 million (USD).[5] More than 13,000 firefighters were mobilized from other parts of the country to fight the fire.[6] The captain of the South Korea national football team, Heung-Min Son donated $124,600 (USD) to victims of the fire[7]