Sancheong: More villages were placed under an evacuation order Saturday as strong winds impeded firefighting operations against a wildfire that broke out in the southeastern county of Sancheong, officials said. The county office in Sancheong notified residents and visitors in eight nearby towns to immediately evacuate to a safe area at 3 p.m.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the move came a day after the county office ordered 213 residents in seven villages hit by the wildfire to evacuate to a nearby research center. A resident in one of the affected villages received hospital treatment after inhaling smoke, but no other casualties were reported.

As of 3 p.m., 65 percent of the blaze had been extinguished, down from 70 percent at 10:30 a.m. The area affected by the wildfire had also expanded to 290 hectares. The county office reported that two firefighters were found dead in the region, though their identities and the cause of death remain unknown. Police and fire authorities plan to determine the exact cause after retrieving their bodies.

Acting President Choi Sang-mok visited the site and ordered relevant agencies to make the utmost effort to mobilize all possible equipment and personnel to put out the blaze before sunset. He also urged safety for residents and firefighting authorities deployed to the scene, emphasizing the need for seamless preparations should the blaze continue overnight.

Authorities issued the highest level of response measures to put out the blaze, about three hours after the fire first broke out at 3:26 p.m. Friday. Plans are in place to determine the exact cause of the blaze after extinguishing it. A person who first reported the fire confirmed that a spark started the fire during mowing.

Meanwhile, the Korea Forest Service raised the wildfire emergency level to its highest as of 3:30 p.m., with 16 wildfires reported nationwide amid strong winds.