At least 16 people have died and 19 others have been injured as wildfires continue to ravage South Korea’s southern regions, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
The fires, fuelled by dry conditions and strong winds, have burned more than 43,000 acres of land and destroyed hundreds of structures, including the 1,300-year-old Gounsa Buddhist temple.
Mass evacuations as fires spread
Authorities in Andong, Uiseong, Sancheong, and Ulsan ordered thousands of residents to evacuate on Tuesday as firefighters struggled to contain the flames. According to South Korea’s Ministry of Interior and Safety, more than 5,500 people were forced to flee their homes as the fires intensified.
By Tuesday evening, officials reported that firefighters had extinguished most of the largest fires, but dry and windy weather conditions reignited the blazes, allowing them to spread further overnight.
Major firefighting effort underway
A massive firefighting operation is ongoing, involving nearly 9,000 firefighters, 130 helicopters, and hundreds of emergency vehicles. However, efforts were partially suspended overnight due to strengthening winds, making it difficult to contain the flames.
In Andong and Uiseong, officials issued evacuation orders for residents in several villages and those living near Andong University, as the fire that started in Uiseong continued to spread. Temporary shelters, including schools and indoor gyms, have been set up to accommodate evacuees.
The fire in Uiseong caused the destruction of Gounsa temple, a 7th-century Buddhist site, according to the Korea Heritage Service. While no injuries were reported, authorities confirmed that several national treasures, including a stone Buddha statue, were evacuated before the fire reached the temple’s wooden structures.
Further evacuations and road closures
The wildfires also spread to the nearby coastal town of Yeongdeok, where local officials shut down roads and ordered residents from at least four villages to evacuate immediately.
There were also unconfirmed reports that the justice ministry had begun relocating around 2,600 inmates from a prison in Cheongsong county, near Uiseong, as a precautionary measure.
The Korea Forest Service confirmed that as of Wednesday morning, firefighters were battling at least five active wildfires across the country.
Highest-level wildfire warning issued
On Tuesday, the Korea Forest Service raised its wildfire alert to its highest ‘serious’ level nationwide. This emergency status requires local governments to increase their emergency response workforce, tighten entry restrictions for forests and parks, and advise military units to suspend live-fire exercises.
Authorities have also urged residents to remain on high alert, as dry spring weather conditions make further wildfire outbreaks likely.
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Tragic loss of firefighters and government workers
Among those killed in the fires were four firefighters and government workers, who died in Sancheong on Saturday after being trapped by fast-moving flames driven by strong winds.
Political response and investigation
South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, currently serving as the acting leader following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment over a December martial law decree, has vowed an all-out effort to contain the fires. He has also urged the public to exercise caution as the wildfire risk remains high.
Government officials suspect that several of the recent wildfires, including those in Uiseong and Ulsan, may have been caused by human error. Possible causes include fires set to clear overgrown grass in family tombs and sparks from welding work.
With thousands displaced, historic landmarks lost, and lives tragically cut short, South Korea is now grappling with one of its worst wildfire disasters in recent history. Firefighters continue to battle the flames, but strong winds and dry conditions mean the crisis is far from over.
