Nearly 30 wildfires erupted in southeastern South Korea over the weekend, resulting in four fatalities and six injuries. The affected region declared a state of disaster on Saturday evening, as thousands of firefighters and helicopters were deployed to combat the fires that burned through at least 4,700 acres and led to the evacuation of approximately 1,000 people. The fires also caused disruptions to train services and road closures. By Sunday morning, all except six of the fires had been extinguished, according to the Interior Ministry.

All reported deaths and injuries were linked to a fire in Sancheong County, which is located around 160 miles southeast of Seoul, the capital, and started on Friday afternoon. Five out of the six injured individuals were critically injured, and at least two of the deceased were firefighters. The initial cause of the Sancheong fire is attributed to a farmer’s lawn mower catching fire.

Additionally, another blaze commenced at a cemetery in Euiseong County on Saturday morning, roughly 110 miles southeast of Seoul. In Gimhae, a city around 20 miles inland from Busan in the Korean Peninsula’s southeastern corner, a fire erupted at a garbage incinerator on Saturday afternoon.

As of Sunday morning, the Sancheong fire had been contained by approximately 30 percent, while the Euiseong fire had only 3 percent containment. However, fire officials anticipated having the Euiseong fire under control by the end of the day. South Korean officials attributed the rapid spread of the fires to dry and windy conditions, with March, April, and May being among the driest months in the nation.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/23/world/asia/south-korea-wildfires.html