The wind-driven spread of a wildfire that broke out in the east coast city of Gangneung on Tuesday morning has prompted the Korea Forest Service to issue a Level Three alert.

The agency issued the alert at 10:30 a.m., some two hours after the fire is suspected to have started, a warning applied when a fire is expected to affect over 100 hectares of land and when the blaze spreads with an average wind speed of over eleven meters per second.

With the alert allowing the mobilization of all available resources in the region including helicopters and personnel, over 100 fire fighting apparatuses and nearly 13-hundred personnel have been deployed to fight the flames, while ten choppers are on standby due to strong winds.

The scope of damage is increasing with 24 homes and buildings completely burnt down and 16 partially damaged as of 12:40 p.m., according to fire agency data, while 103 hectares of land are believed to be affected but no casualties reported as of yet.

Authorities suspect the fire started when a power line was struck by a tree that fell amid gale force winds.

Wind and dry weather warnings are also in effect in Gangneung.