For a third day, firefighters are battling a massive wildfire that started in the southeastern coastal county of Uljin.

Forest authorities deployed over 50 helicopters and some four-thousand people as soon as the day broke on Sunday, with an aim to contain the main flames by the end of the day.

Korea Forest Service Chief Choi Byeong-am said on Sunday that as the affected area of the Uljin fire is so large, it would be difficult to put out all the flames on Sunday, adding they aim to contain the main flames by the end of the day.

The blaze began on Friday morning on a road near a mountain in Uljin and spread north to its neighboring city of Samcheok City in the afternoon, driven by strong winds and dry weather.

The fire further spread to the southern areas of Uljin on Saturday, but did not reach the downtown area overnight.

The government said wildfires at six locations across the nation prompted the evacuation of some seven-thousand people, including six thousand residents in Uljin and Samcheok.