SEOUL, South Korea – The U.S. military sent two Black Hawks equipped with water buckets Friday to help South Koreans fight a massive forest fire that has forced thousands to flee their homes northeast of Seoul.

The assist came as South Korean President Moon Jae-in made a surprise visit to the city of Goseong, which has served as a base for some 10,000 firefighters and military personnel working to extinguish the blaze.

The fire started Thursday and was spread quickly by strong winds in the mountainous Gangwon province, which hosted the 2018 Winter Olympics.

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