At least 24 dead as wildfires ravage southern South Korea and force
27,000 to evacuate
[March 26, 2025]
By KIM TONG-HYUNG and HYUNG-JIN KIM
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Wind-driven wildfires that were among South
Korea’s worst ever were ravaging the country’s southern regions, killing
24 people, destroying more than 200 structures and forcing 27,000
residents to evacuate, officials said Wednesday.
The death toll included a pilot who died after a helicopter crashed
during efforts to contain wildfires in the southeastern town of Uiseong,
one of the hardest-hit areas. The aircraft had no other crew members.
The National Fire Agency said at least 26 other people sustained varying
degrees of injuries.
An ancient Buddhist temple, houses, factories and vehicles were
destroyed in the wildfires that have burned 43,330 acres (17,535
hectares), the government’s emergency response center said.
In a televised address, South Korea’s acting President Han Duck-soo said
the wildfires that began last Friday were the worst so far.
“Damages are snowballing,” 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.”
Han said crews were struggling to extinguish the wildfires because
strong winds swept the areas overnight. Han said about 4,650
firefighters, soldiers and other personnel were working Wednesday with
the help of about 130 helicopters. He said that “a small amount” of 5-10
millimeters (0.1-0.3 inches) of rain was expected Thursday.
As of Wednesday evening, firefighters were fighting at least four active
wildfires, including in the southeastern coastal town of Yeongdeok,
which alerted residents of the nearest village to evacuate to an indoor
gymnasium.
Strong winds and smoke-filled skies forced authorities in the
southeastern city of Andong to order evacuations in two villages,
including Puncheon, which is home to the Hahoe folk village — a UNESCO
World Heritage Site founded around the 14th-15th century. Hikers were
advised to leave the scenic Jirisan Mountain, one of the country’s
largest national parks, as another fire spread closer.
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The wreckage of a crashed firefighting helicopter is seen at a
mountain in Uiseong, South Korea, Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (Son
Hyung-joo/Yonhap via AP)
Observers say the ongoing wildfires are the third biggest in South
Korea in terms of land burned. The largest fires were in Andong, the
neighboring counties of Uiseong and Sancheong, and the city of
Ulsan.
On Tuesday, officials said firefighters had extinguished most of the
flames from the largest wildfires in those areas, but wind and dry
conditions allowed them to spread again.
The blaze in Uiseong destroyed nearly half of more than 30
structures at Gounsa, a temple which was said to be originally built
in the 7th century. Among the burned structures were two
state-designated “treasures" — a pavilion-shaped building erected on
a stream in 1668, and a Joseon Dynasty structure built in 1904 to
mark the longevity of a king.
The another state-designated “treasure,” a stone Buddha statue
reportedly manufactured in the 8th century, was moved to a safe
place, according to government and Buddhist officials.
The Justice Ministry said it protectively removed 500 inmates from a
detention center in Cheongsong, another southern town, but no
damages were reported to the facility.
The Korea Forest Service said it had raised its wildfire warning to
the highest level nationwide, requiring local governments to assign
more workers to emergency response, tighten entry restrictions for
forests and parks, and recommend that military units withhold
live-fire exercises.
The 18 dead include four firefighters and government workers who
died in Sancheong on Saturday after being trapped by fast-moving
flames driven by strong winds, according to officials.
Government officials suspect human error caused several of the
fires, possibly due to the use of fire while clearing overgrown
grass in family tombs or sparks from welding work.
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