South Korea fires latest: 27 killed and 1,000-year-old Buddhist temples destroyed in biggest wildfire on record
Since Friday, more than 35,810 hectares (88,488 acres) of land in the southeast has been scorched, the disaster response centre said. The fire that began in Uiseong county is now the biggest single forest fire in South Korea's history, surpassing the 24,000-hectare blaze of March 2000.
At least 27 people were confirmed dead, including a pilot of a firefighting helicopter which crashed yesterday.
Hundreds of structures have been burnt or damaged, including historic 7th-century Buddhist temple that was reduced to ashes as the fire continued to expand.
'We are nationally in a critical situation with numerous casualties because of the unprecedented rapid spread of forest fires,' acting president Han Duck Soo said at a government response meeting.
The Uiseong fire spread rapidly on Wednesday, reaching Yeongdeok on the east coast, 51km away, in just 12 hours. While light rain is forecast in the southwest, most affected areas are expected to receive less than 5mm, offering little relief.
Climate crisis fuelling early wildfire surges in 2025, expert warns
The current wildfires in South Korea and California this year are part of a growing global pattern driven by climate change, according to experts.
'Only three months into 2025, we've already witnessed record-breaking wildfire activity in multiple regions,' said Dr Kimberley Simpson, fellow at the University of Sheffield's School of Biosciences. 'As climate change drives rising temperatures and alters rainfall patterns, the conditions that give rise to these devastating fires are becoming more frequent.'
Dr Simpson said that both California's January fires and South Korea's ongoing blazes were preceded by unusually warm, dry weather, leaving vegetation dangerously flammable. 'Strong winds in both cases spread the flames rapidly and made firefighting far more difficult,' she said.
Stuti Mishra27 March 2025 11:12
Video: Deadly wildfires burn in South Korea
Stuti Mishra27 March 2025 10:34
Death toll climbs to 27
Death toll from South Korea's wildfires rose to 27 today as officials confirmed three more deaths.
The fatalities include a pilot whose helicopter crashed during efforts to contain a fire yesterday and four firefighters and other workers who died earlier after being trapped by fast-moving flames.
Authorities haven't disclosed details of the civilian dead, except that they are mostly in their 60s or older who found it difficult to escape quickly or who even refused orders to evacuate.
They suspect human error caused several of the wildfires, including cases where people started fires while clearing overgrown grass from family tombs or with sparks during welding work.
Stuti Mishra27 March 2025 10:10
Wildfires threaten historic temples and UNESCO heritage sites
The wildfires have carved a trail of devastation through an area equivalent to about half the area of Singapore, ravaging everything in their path including historic temples and homes in the mountainous forest regions of North Gyeongsang province.
Teams of firefighters are on standby to protect the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Hahoe Village and the Byeongsan Confucian Academy in the city of Andong, if a blaze jumps the stream that flows around them.
The picturesque folk village has traditional Korean houses, many with thatched roofs, while the Confucian academy dates back more than 450 years.
The fires have already badly damaged other historic sites, including much of Gounsa Temple in Uiseong, which was built in 681.
"The buildings and remains of what Buddhist monks have left over 1,300 years are now all gone," said Deungwoon, the head of the Gounsa Temple.
Stuti Mishra27 March 2025 09:50
What caused the wildifires?
The cause of the wildfire isn't clear yet, but it is suspected that the fires were triggered by human activity, possibly sparks from welding or people clearing dry grass near ancestral tombs, some reports said.
However, officials say the rapid spread of the flames and unprecedented scale was a result of unusually hot and dry conditions.
"This wildfire has once again exposed the harsh reality of a climate crisis unlike anything we've experienced before," disaster chief Lee said.
"The affected areas have seen only half the average rainfall, coupled with unusually strong winds, which have drastically accelerated the spread of the fire and intensified the damage," he said.
Higher temperatures amplified by human-caused climate change contributed to the existing seasonally dry conditions, "turning dry landscapes into dangerous fire fuel" in the region, the Climate Central group, an independent body made up of scientists and researchers, said in a report.
Stuti Mishra27 March 2025 09:30
Ancient temple destroyed in South Korea's wildfires
Over 300 structures, including houses, factories and a 1,300-year-old Buddhist temple have been destroyed, officials said on Wednesday.
The Gounsa temple, founded in 681 during the Silla Dynasty, was destroyed in Uiseong. Heritage officials said some of the site's national treasures, including an eighth-century stone Buddha statue, were removed before the flames reached the main wooden buildings.
At least 24 dead and ancient temple destroyed as South Korea hit by wildfires
More than 27,000 people have been evacuated
Stuti Mishra27 March 2025 09:15
Firefighters struggle to contain fire
The military has released stocks of aviation fuel to help keep firefighting helicopters flying to douse flames across mountainous regions in the southeast of the country, where fires have been burning now for nearly a week.
More than 120 helicopters have been deployed in three regions battling the blazes, the safety ministry said. South Korea relies on helicopters to fight forest fires because of its mountainous terrain. A helicopter pilot died yesterday after crashing while trying to tackle a blaze.
Stuti Mishra27 March 2025 08:49
In photos: Burnt out houses, temples and destroyed villages
Stuti Mishra27 March 2025 08:30
'We are nationally in a critical situation,' says South Korea's acting president
South Korea's acting president Han Duck-soo called the wildfires 'unprecedented' yesterday and said the crisis was 'rewriting the record books for the worst wildfires in our nation's history'.
"Damages are snowballing," Mr Han said. "There are concerns that we'll have wildfire damages that we've never experienced, so we have to concentrate all our capabilities to put out the wildfires in the rest of this week."
Stuti Mishra27 March 2025 08:05
South Korea's wildfire doubles up in size, becomes the largest on record
Wildfires raging in South Korea doubled in size today from a day earlier, as authorities called the blazes the country's worst fire disaster.
More than 35,000 hectares (88,000 acres) have been charred or were still burning in the largest of the fires that began in the central Uiseong county, making it the biggest single forest fire in South Korea's history. The previous record was 24,000 hectares (59,000 acres) in a March 2000 fire.
The wildfires that originated in Uiseong have been moving rapidly eastward, spreading almost to the coast, carried by gusty winds and with dry conditions aggravating the situation.
The Uiseong fire began spreading quickly yesterday, reaching the coastal county of Yeongdeok 51km (32 miles) away in just 12 hours, said Won Myung-soo, director of satellite imagery analysis for the national forestry service.
Stuti Mishra27 March 2025 07:58
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
6 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Storm Floris causes landslip on St Kilda heritage site
A 'significant' landslip has taken place at St Kilda due to heavy rainfall from Storm Floris. The world heritage site consists of an archipelago 65km (35 nautical miles) west-northwest of North Uist, the most remote islands of the Outer Hebrides. The archipelago is cared for by the National Trust for Scotland and is the UK's only dual UNESCO world heritage site designated for both its cultural and environmental significance. Read More: Tonnes of mud and stone were swept down the hillside damaging some of the unique cleits and demolishing drystone dyke enclosures at the bottom of the slope. A full assessment of the damage will be undertaken by St Kilda Archaeologist, Clare Henderson when it is safe to access the area later this week. Property manager Susan Bain said: 'Landslips like this are rare on St Kilda and we have not seen anything on this scale in recent decades. St Kilda (Image: Brian W Matthews) "Sadly, as we continue to see the impacts of changing weather patterns through climate change, heavy summer rainfall events are predicted to increase in frequency and intensity, so it may be something that happens more frequently. "We will work with our partners, including Historic Environment Scotland, to repair damage and investigate future mitigation.' Almost all National Trust for Scotland properties were closed yesterday due to Storm Floris. Today, teams are clearing up after trees have come down, with some sites without power. The charity is reminding visitors to check and property social media before travelling. Donations to support the charity's work to care for St Kilda can be made here.
ITV News
6 days ago
- ITV News
How do tsunami warning systems work?
The strongest earthquake in a decade hit Russia's east coast on Wednesday morning. The 8.8 magnitude quake prompted tsunami alerts across the Pacific, as waves pushed forward towards Russia, Japan, Hawaii and the United States' West Coast, as well as many other nations. Tsunamis can't be predicted. They don't occur during a specific season, they don't strike in the same place, and they don't follow any pattern that would allow scientists to estimate how strong the next one could be. They can hit any coast at any time. But they can't be prevented, and for people living in coastal communities, all they can do is prepare for if, or when, one happens. The only respite is that tsunamis don't occur often, and the majority are not destructive. What is a Tsunami? The word Tsunami is Japanese, coming from the characters for harbour ("tsu") and wave ("nami"). A tsunami is a series of extremely long waves, primarily caused by underwater earthquakes, which suddenly displace the ocean's floor. Other possible causes are landslides, volcanic activity, certain types of weather, and meteorites. Like a rock that is dropped in a puddle - tsunamis radiate outwards in all directions from the point of origin. Tsunami waves can move as fast as a jet plane, clocking in at over 500 mph. Some have enough power to cross entire ocean basins. If looking at the water's surface while far out at sea, tsunamis can go undetected. Boats may not normally notice one as it passes below them. As the waves reach shallow water near land, they slow down and grow in height - most tsunamis are less than 10 feet high, but some can reach over 100 feet. They pose an incredibly dangerous threat to coastlines, risking coastal flooding and powerful currents that can last for hours or days. The History of Tsunami Warning Systems The creation of large-scale tsunami warning systems began in the 1940s, formed separately by Japan and the US after both experienced destructive tsunamis. Japan's functioned as a local warning system, while the USA's covered more distance. In the aftermath of the 1960 Chilean earthquake and tsunami, which killed hundreds of people in total across Chile, Hawaii, Japan, and the Philippines, the nations of the Pacific decided to coordinate efforts. Most earthquakes and tsunamis occur in the Pacific Ocean, as it holds the largest ocean basin and the "Ring of Fire". The Ring of Fire is an area laden with volcanoes and sites of seismic activity, covering the edges of the Pacific Ocean. An estimated 75% of all active volcanoes are dotted along the Ring of Fire, and 90% of all earthquakes occur there. Unesco says 76% of history's fatal tsunamis have occurred in the Pacific Ocean. However, the Indian Ocean Tsunami, or the Boxing Day Tsunami, which killed 230,000 people, highlighted the need for tsunami warning systems elsewhere and changed the way they work. How do Tsunami Warning Systems Work? The first sign of a potential tsunami is usually an earthquake, which creates seismic waves. Seismic waves travel around 100 times faster than tsunamis, meaning they can be analysed far earlier than other methods. Seismic networks, a collection of stations whose job it is to measure ground movement, can provide information about an earthquake's location, depth, and magnitude. Tsunami warning centres are then able to use this information to determine whether a tsunami could have been formed, and whether it is necessary to issue a tsunami alert. If the earthquake meets certain criteria, warning centres use information from water-level networks. These monitor changes in the water using sea-floor censors and surface buoys, which can indicate the existence and size of a tsunami. Tsunami warning centres will run forecast models to simulate the tsunami's movements across the ocean and estimate its predisposition for damage, such as wave height, arrival times, location and duration. These forecasts allow warning centres to decide if a tsunami alert should be updated or cancelled. The system is not foolproof, though. If a tsunami is triggered by a non-seismic event, like a volcanic eruption or meteorite, water-level networks may not be able to create a detailed forecast with enough time, and seismic networks won't pick it up accurately. What Types of Tsunami Alerts are there? There are three levels to tsunami alerts: a tsunami watch, a tsunami advisory, and a tsunami warning. A tsunami watch is issued when a tsunami may later impact the watch area. It can be upgraded or cancelled depending on updated information. A tsunami advisory is issued when a potentially dangerous tsunami is imminent, expected or occurring. Severe flooding is not expected in areas under an advisory, but local officials may evacuate immediate coastal areas like beaches, harbours and piers. A tsunami warning is issued when a tsunami with the potential to cause widespread flooding is imminent, expected or occurring, which could be accompanied by powerful currents and continue for several hours. Officials may evacuate low-lying coastal areas and reposition ships to deep waters if there is time.
The Guardian
6 days ago
- The Guardian
‘Prepared for a long stay': tsunami alert triggers mass evacuations across Pacific
In the Pacific territory of Guam, just before lunchtime on Tuesday, Sam Mabini's phone began to ping. A tsunami warning was issued after a powerful 8.8-magnitude quake struck a remote part of the Russian coast. Authorities put out the alert over concerns that destructive waves could slam the shoreline in the coming hours, urging people to move away from the coast. Mabini, a former Guam senator, took action. 'I went to higher ground just in case,' Mabini said. Her family lives in the lower area of Tamuning and they moved to a more elevated part of the village. She joined other residents who evacuated to Agana Heights, a higher part of Guam's capital, Hagåtña. In towns and cities across the Pacific, from Guam to Saipan and Hawaii, warnings and evacuation orders rang after the quake, one of the strongest ever recorded. Workers were sent home and businesses locked down as they braced for what might hit in the hours ahead. In parts of Russia, waves of up to 4 metres were recorded and authorities urged people to move away from the shoreline. In Japan, footage by the public broadcaster NHK showed many people in the northern island of Hokkaido on the roof of a building, sheltering under tents from the beating sun, as fishing boats left harbours to avoid potential damage from the incoming waves. About 200 people in Japan evacuated to a Buddhist temple that sits on high ground overlooking Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture, a city that lost around 1,250 residents in the devastating March 2011 tsunami. The Senjuin temple is a designated municipal tsunami evacuation area. The chief priest Keio Shibasaki told the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper: 'Considering that more than 1,000 people took refuge here after the [2011] earthquake, the number of evacuees is relatively small, but we have started preparing lunch with stored food in case of unforeseen circumstances such as power outages. We are prepared for a long stay.' Evacuees included staff from the city hall, post office, and children and teachers from the nearby Kamaishi kindergarten. 'We evacuated when the tsunami warning was issued,' the kindergarten head, Keito Fujiwara, told the Mainichi Shimbun. 'We stored emergency food supplies at the temple and have been preparing accordingly. During the 2011 earthquake, there were cases where parents went to pick up their children and became victims, so we communicated via group LINE [a popular Japanese messaging app] that under no circumstances should anyone go to pick up their children.' In 2011, the tsunami waves swept over the Kamaishi tsunami protection breakwater, a decades-long $1.5bn project which had been completed two years previously, inundating the city in scenes that were captured on video and seen around the world. In Hawaii, tsunami warning sirens blared twice on Tuesday afternoon on multiple islands, including Oahu, where the capital Honolulu is located, and Kauai. Evacuations were ordered for some coastal areas as the Honolulu department of emergency management warned: 'Take Action! Destructive tsunami waves expected.' As residents raced to get out, traffic backed up in some Honolulu neighbourhoods and officials were preparing to open a mountain pass as an evacuation route out of Waianae, a coastal community on the island of Oahu, said the state representative, Darius Kila. Even though it is summer break for pupils, some schools issued alerts cancelling sports and other activities. Kyle Kajihiro, assistant professor at the University of Hawaii-Manoa, was on campus when he received a warning alert on his mobile phone. He reported the campus was shutting down and traffic on Honolulu's highways was heavy. On Kauai, shortly after the tsunami warning was issued, staff at the National Tropical Botanical Garden suspended tours on its south shore and moved all visitors and employees out of the inundation zone to higher ground. Still, blue skies and breezy conditions prevailed as many in Hawaii left work early heading for home or designated safe areas away from the islands' heavily populated coastline. Residents have become particularly sensitive to phone warning and civil defence sirens after Hawaii's Emergency Management Agency issued a false alert warning of an inbound 'ballistic missile threat' in 2018, causing widespread panic. All islands activated emergency operating centres, shelters began opening, and people in coastal areas were advised to head to higher ground immediately. Kauai police asked the public to stay off the road unless absolutely necessary. In Guam, residents were urged to remain out of the water and told to move away from beaches and harbours, at least 100 feet (30 metres) inland and 50 feet above sea level. The port authority and other government agencies suspended operations, while marina users and local residents were told to evacuate to higher ground. Workers in some businesses – including the Guam visitors bureau in the coastal district of Tumon – were sent home. But some were not worried by the warnings. Tessa Borja, a policy analyst from Tumon, did not feel evacuating was necessary and stayed in her second-floor apartment. 'We are protected by the reef,' she said. In nearby Saipan, the largest island and capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, similar warnings were issued. Government offices were closed and businesses in low-lying areas shut their doors. Petrol stations had long lines of vehicles wanting to fill up. Some residents living near the shoreline in Saipan, an island of about 43,000 people, fled to higher ground as they waited for the all clear from authorities. Tsunami drills by emergency authorities have been held regularly in on the island.
