South Korea’s forest service reported that thousands of firefighters and soldiers are battling multiple active wildfires across the country. At least 18 people have been killed and nearly 20 injured as the fires are ravaging various areas in South Korea’s southeastern region. The fires, fueled by strong and dry winds, began in Sancheong county and spread to neighboring Uiseong county, ultimately reaching Andong, Cheongsong, Yeongyang, and Yeongdeok counties. Residents in Andong and other southeastern cities have been ordered to evacuate as firefighters struggle to contain the fires, which have destroyed over 17,000 hectares of forest and hundreds of structures, including the historic Gounsa temple in Uiseong. National treasures from the Buddhist temple were moved to other parts of the country for safety. There have also been concerns for the Hahoe Folk Village, a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site, as the blaze nears. Lee Byung-doo, a forest disaster expert, described the fire in Uiseong as having an “unimaginable” scale and speed. Acting President Han Duck-soo stated that the ongoing fires have exceeded all prediction models for such a disaster. The South Korean military has deployed approximately 5,000 service members and 146 helicopters to assist firefighters, and around 500 inmates have been transferred to facilities outside the fire danger zone.

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/26/at-least-eighteen-dead-as-unprecedented-wildfires-rage-across-south-korea?traffic_source=rss