More than a dozen fires have been fanned by high winds and dry conditions, killing 30 people and injuring dozens more in southeastern regions, an interior ministry official said on Saturday.
Fires were whipped up again early on Saturday in Andong, a city in the worst-hit North Gyeongsang province, forcing authorities to deploy eight helicopters to the area, said an official from the Korea Forest Service.
It came a day after the main fire in the province, where 26 of the 30 victims have died, was extinguished.
“It seems that the remaining embers have flared up a bit,” said the official.
“We plan to deploy more helicopters to the area in Andong.”
The fires there began on Saturday last week and rolled on for days.
More than 2,900 homes in the region have been completely destroyed, according to the latest figures.
An official said this week that more than 35,000 hectares (86,500 acres) of forest have been burned.
The fire also destroyed several historic sites, including the Gounsa temple complex in the southeastern city of Uiseong, which is believed to have been originally built in the 7th century.
The extent of the damage makes it South Korea’s largest-ever wildfire.
Later on Saturday, an official from the North Gyeongsang provincial government said helicopters were still being deployed in Andong areas to extinguish mostly small flames and smoke.
“Given the size of the area, it may take some time to complete all operations and fully extinguish the fires,” said Do Gyu-myeong .
Most of the victims in the region were elderly, according to the Korea Forest Service.
Those killed include a pilot in his 70s whose helicopter crashed on Wednesday while he was trying to contain a fire.
The flames have been fanned by high winds and ultra-dry conditions, with the area experiencing below-average rains for months after South Korea had its hottest year on record in 2024.
The interior ministry said the wildfires were accidentally started by a grave visitor and “sparks from a brush cutter.”
Lee Hye-young, a 65-year-old resident of Andong, said she still remains traumatised by the experience.
“It was really scary to see the sparks flying around all at once,” she said.
“While living in North Gyeongsang, I never thought that such a large disaster would strike us.” (AFP)
