South Korea wildfires latest: ‘Largest on record' blaze kills 26 and destroys ancient Buddhist temples
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 26 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.
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
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