At least 18 dead as ‘unprecedented' wildfires ravage South Korea's southern regions

Independent

26-03-2025

At least 18 people have died and 20 injured as South Korea battled some of the most destructive wildfires in its history.
The flames, which began on Friday, tore through southeastern regions, amplified by dry weather and strong winds this week as Japan also struggled with new wildfires.
Fires have burned through more than 17,400 hectares (43,000 acres), destroying hundreds of structures, including a 1,300-year-old Buddhist temple.
Over 27,000 people have been evacuated from cities and towns including Andong, Uiseong, Sancheong and Ulsan.
Earlier, four people were confirmed dead, but authorities on Wednesday said the death toll now stands at 18.
Among those killed were four firefighters and civil servants who died on Saturday after being trapped by fast-moving flames.
In a televised address, South Korea's acting president Han Duck Soo said the wildfires were causing worse damage than many other past wildfires.
"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."
He added: "We are deploying all available personnel and equipment in response to the worst wildfires ever but the situation is not good."
Authorities have deployed nearly 9,000 personnel, including soldiers and firefighters, backed by more than 130 helicopters and hundreds of vehicles. But strong winds and dry conditions have repeatedly allowed the fires to spread after being partially contained.
In Uiseong, officials said only 68 per cent of the blaze was under control as of Tuesday. The fire also spread to the nearby coastal town of Yeongdeok, where officials shut down roads and ordered residents of at least four villages to evacuate.
The historic Gounsa temple, founded in 681 during the Silla Dynasty, was destroyed in Uiseong. Heritage officials said some of the site's national treasures, including a stone Buddha statue, were removed before the flames reached the main wooden buildings.
In the coastal town of Yeongdeok, roads were closed and residents in at least four villages were ordered to evacuate. There were unconfirmed reports that 2,600 inmates were being relocated from a prison in nearby Cheongsong county due to the advancing fires.
Emergency shelters have been set up in schools and gyms, and UNESCO -listed sites such as Hahoe Folk Village and the Byeongsan Confucian Academy in Andong were under threat on Wednesday, local officials said.
The fires are suspected to have been triggered by human activity, possibly sparks from welding or people clearing dry grass near ancestral tombs, according to government officials.
Forest expert Lee Byung-doo warned that large-scale wildfires are likely to increase as the climate changes. 'We have to admit that and prepare more resources and manpower,' he said.
Wildfire seasons around the world have grown longer and more intense as climate breakdown makes dry and windy conditions more common. Scientific studies have found that climate crisis has already extended the global wildfire season by roughly two weeks on average.