South Korea deploys choppers to contain wildfire

South Korea's military said Friday that helicopters have been deployed in the eastern part of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas to contain a wildfire, according to local media reports.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said that two forestry service helicopters were mobilized to fight the blaze, which began Thursday in the DMZ area in the border county of Goseong, located 159 kilometers (98.7 miles) northeast of Seoul, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The military also informed North Korea ahead of the helicopters' entry into the DMZ area, it said.

No damage has been reported so far regarding South Korean personnel or facilities, it added.

"Our military is maintaining readiness while closely monitoring North Korean activities," it said.

Last month, at least 30 people were killed and around 40 injured while thousands fled their homes due to a wildfire in Gyeongsang Province that was fully contained after 10 days.

About 48,000 hectares of woodland equivalent to about 80% of the size of the capital Seoul was scorched in the worst wildfire disaster ever in South Korea.