South Korea’s southern areas were devastated by wind-driven wildfires, which were among the deadliest in the country’s history. Officials said on Wednesday that the wildfires in South Korea killed 28 people, destroyed over 200 structures, and forced 27,000 people to evacuate.

The emergency response department of the government reported that the flames had destroyed 43,330 acres and injured 19 people. Among the buildings destroyed were factories, vehicles, homes, and a 1,300-year-old Buddhist temple.

Acting President Han Duck-soo of South Korea said in a televised speech that the flames, which started last Friday, were inflicting more damage than many previous fires. He declared, “Damages are snowballing,” and went on to say, “There are concerns that we’ll have wildfire damage that we’ve never experienced before, so we have to concentrate all our capabilities to put out the wildfires for the rest of this week.”

Strong Winds and Dry Conditions Hamper Firefighting Efforts

Strong winds, according to officials, made it challenging to suppress fires as they expanded overnight. On Wednesday, 130 helicopters helped transport over 4,650 firefighters, troops, and other personnel. Authorities cautioned that Thursday’s forecast of 5–10 millimeters of light rainfall might not be sufficient to contain the flames.

According to South Korea’s Interior Ministry, the biggest fires occurred in Andong, the nearby counties of Sancheong and Uiseong, and the city of Ulsan. As dry winds fueled the flames, many towns and cities in the southeast issued evacuation orders on Tuesday.

Officials reported earlier on Tuesday that firefighters had put out most of the fires in the most severely damaged districts but that wind and dry weather had caused them to flare up again. Overnight, firefighting operations were temporarily halted due to worsening wind conditions.

On Tuesday, the Korea Forest Service issued the nation’s highest “serious” wildfire alert. This prompted local governments to increase emergency personnel assignments, tighten access restrictions in parks and forests, and recommend that military forces refrain from conducting live-fire drills.

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Historic Temple Destroyed, Human Error Suspected

Gounsa, a 7th-century Buddhist temple, was destroyed in the Uiseong fire, according to Korea Heritage Service authorities. A stone Buddha statue and other temple relics were removed before the fire engulfed the wooden structures.

Four firefighters and government employees who were stranded by fast-moving flames in Sancheong on Saturday are among the 18 confirmed fatalities, according to authorities.

Authorities believe that a number of fires were caused by human error, which may have resulted from sparks from welding or the use of fire to remove overgrown vegetation in family cemeteries. According to observers, wildfires in South Korea are currently the third-largest in terms of land burned in the country’s history.

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