(LEAD) Firefighters battle to contain Andong mountain fire as 1,000 evacuated

(ATTN: RECASTS headline; UPDATES with latest info in paras 2-4)

SEOUL, April 25 (Yonhap) -- Firefighters on Saturday continued to battle a mountain fire in the southeastern city of Andong that broke out the previous day, as strong winds hampered their containment efforts.

The fire, which was first reported on Friday afternoon, has affected an estimated 100 hectares of mountain land and burnt four houses, with no casualties reported yet.

Some 1,000 nearby residents have evacuated, and traffic around the city has been restricted.

About 2,000 personnel -- firefighters, civil servants and service members -- have been mobilized, along with 120 fire trucks and 20 helicopters, to put out the fire, though the choppers could not continue operations after sunset.

Minister of the Interior and Safety Chin Young ordered officials to use all available resources to contain the fire as soon as possible and minimize its impact.

"Above all, put utmost efforts to safely evacuate residents living near where the mountain fire broke out," he said.

The exact cause of the fire has yet to be determined, they said.

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