Fire breaks out on inter-Korean border islet

PAJU, South Korea, Feb. 24 (Yonhap) -- A fire broke out on a South Korean border
islet known as a habitat for rare wild plants and animals, sparked accidentally
during a South Korean Army training exercise, Army officials said Tuesday.
The blaze erupted Monday afternoon on Chopyeong Island, just south of the heavily
armed inter-Korean border, and was brought under control early Tuesday morning
after burning a large plain of wild plants, according to the officials.
The incident apparently was not related to North Korea. The unhabited island lies
wedged inside the Imjin River, which cuts across the Demilitarized Zone.
"The fire broke out as we were training by firing grenade launchers at Chopyeong
Island," about 30 kilometers north of Seoul, an Army official said. The island
has been closed to civilians since the 1950-53 Korean War that ended in a
ceasefire.
Three helicopters were dispatched to quash the fire but their operations took
place on a limited scale because of mines and blind shells on the island, the
officials said.
The fire burned nearly a third of the 1.7-million-square-meter islet, which is
covered in bushes and reeds.
Chopyeong has been considered as a candidate to become a nature reserve because
it serves as a habitat for rare species of birds and other animals, according to
Paju officials.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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