South Korea experienced its most severe wildfires in history, with massive blazes sweeping across the southeastern part of the country for over a week. As desperately as firefighters, military personnel, and heritage professionals fought to save people and preserve cultural treasures, the flames proved uncontrollable.
An estimated 37,000 individuals were displaced from their homes due to the fires, which have claimed at least 27 lives and devastated over 88,000 acres of land. The largest fire in Euiseong County was only partially contained on Thursday.
In a bid to rescue as many relics and historical buildings as possible, around 750 individuals were deployed by the Korea Heritage Service to protect or relocate cultural assets, many of which are part of the significant 4,000 items listed as national heritage in the region.
In Andong, firefighters and officials worked tirelessly to protect UNESCO World Heritage sites, including a 600-year-old Hahoe folk village and the Byeongsanseowon Confucian Academy.
Despite efforts to evacuate tens of thousands of residents, many remained to protect their homes, businesses, livestock, and pets. Local residents made plaintive pleas to firefighters to douse the fires near their properties.
Two people lost their home to flames, and after failing to put out the fire, they evacuated. However, they wanted to remain close to protect their 22 cows, so they have been living in their car since Tuesday.
Strong winds hindered the firefighting efforts initially, grounding helicopters and drones and causing the tragic death of a pilot when his helicopter crashed. The Interior Ministry stated that a lawn mower sparked the first of the fires.
However, there is hope as conditions improved by Thursday, allowing over 100 helicopters, including one U.S. military helicopter, to participate in the mission. Light rain is forecasted for Thursday, which could help control the spread of the flames, although it won’t put out the fires completely.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/27/world/asia/south-korea-wildfires-heritage.html
