Wildfires have been devastating southern South Korea, claiming 18 lives, destroying over 200 structures, and forcing 27,000 people to evacuate, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
Driven by strong winds, these wildfires rank among the worst the country has ever faced.
Officials also reported that a helicopter crashed while attempting to contain the fires in Uiseong, one of the most severely affected areas. The Korea Forest Service stated that rescue operations were in progress, and it was believed that only the pilot was on board.
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The government’s emergency response centre noted that the fires have burned through 43,330 acres, injuring 19 people and consuming an ancient Buddhist temple, houses, factories, and vehicles.
In a televised address, South Korea’s acting President Han Duck-soo stated that the ongoing wildfires, which began last Friday, were inflicting more damage than many previous incidents.
“The damage is escalating rapidly,” Han remarked. “We may be facing wildfire destruction on an unprecedented scale, so we must focus all our efforts on extinguishing the fires this week.”
Han pointed out that strong overnight winds had hampered firefighting efforts, with around 4,650 firefighters, soldiers, and other personnel engaged in the battle against the flames. They were supported by approximately 130 helicopters. A small amount of rainfall—5 to 10 millimetres—was expected on Thursday.
Observers consider these wildfires the third-largest in South Korea’s history in terms of land burned.
On Tuesday, officials in several southeastern cities and towns ordered evacuations as dry winds continued to fuel multiple blazes. The largest fires were reported in Andong, the neighbouring counties of Uiseong and Sancheong, and the city of Ulsan, according to the Interior Ministry.
Earlier that day, officials had announced that the largest fires in these areas had mostly been extinguished. However, strong winds and dry conditions led to the blazes reigniting. Overnight firefighting efforts were partially halted as the winds intensified.
In Uiseong, the fire destroyed nearly half of the more than 30 structures at Gounsa, a temple believed to have been originally built in the 7th century. Among the damaged buildings were two state-designated “treasures” – a pavilion-like structure built over a stream in 1668 and a Joseon Dynasty structure from 1904, erected to commemorate a king’s longevity.
Another state-designated treasure, an 8th-century stone Buddha statue, was relocated to safety, as confirmed by government and Buddhist officials.
The Justice Ministry reported that 500 inmates were transferred from a detention centre in Cheongsong, another town in the south, as a precaution. However, no damage to the facility was reported.
On Tuesday, the Korea Forest Service raised its wildfire warning to the highest “serious” level nationwide. This measure required local authorities to deploy additional emergency personnel, tighten entry restrictions to forests and parks, and advise military units to suspend live-fire exercises.
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Among the 18 casualties were four firefighters and government workers who lost their lives in Sancheong on Saturday after being trapped by fast-moving flames driven by strong winds, officials said.
Authorities suspect that human negligence was responsible for several of the fires, possibly due to the use of fire for clearing overgrown grass at family tombs or sparks from welding activities.