At least 18 people have died as South Korea grapples with one of its worst wildfire outbreaks, authorities confirmed Wednesday.
According to the AFP, the blazes, which erupted over the weekend, have forced mass evacuations, destroyed homes, and caused widespread disruption, with officials warning of “unprecedented damage.”
The fires, concentrated in the southeastern part of the country, have burned through approximately 17,398 hectares (42,991 acres), with Uiseong County alone accounting for 87 percent of the destruction, according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
“Wildfires burning for a fifth consecutive day… are causing unprecedented damage,” Acting President Han Duck-soo said at an emergency disaster meeting. “The situation is developing beyond what our prediction models and earlier expectations anticipated.”
As the fires spread rapidly, an estimated 27,000 people have been forced to flee their homes, with roads blocked and communication lines severed in several areas. Many residents had little time to gather their belongings before escaping.
“The wind was so strong,” said 79-year-old Kwon So-han, who evacuated from Andong. “The fire came from the mountain and fell on my house. Those who haven’t experienced it won’t understand—I could only bring my body.”
In Uiseong, where the most significant fire is raging, officials believe the blaze may have been accidentally sparked by someone ending to a family grave.
Efforts to contain the fires have been hampered by strong winds, which at times reached speeds of 25 meters per second, making aerial firefighting operations difficult.
Thousands of firefighters and soldiers, along with helicopters from U.S. forces stationed in South Korea, have been deployed to battle the flames.
Despite the large-scale response, shifting wind patterns and dry conditions have complicated containment efforts. “The changing weather has exposed the limitations of conventional firefighting methods,” Han acknowledged.
Among the areas under threat is the historic Hahoe Folk Village, a UNESCO-listed heritage site, which has been placed under emergency alert as the flames draw closer.
Experts point to unusually dry weather conditions as a key factor fueling the fires. Last year was South Korea’s hottest on record, with the Korea Meteorological Administration reporting an average annual temperature of 14.5 degrees Celsius—two degrees higher than the 30-year average.
“The region had been experiencing unusually dry weather with below-average precipitation,” Han said, adding that the country has seen more than double the number of wildfires this year compared to the same period in 2024.
The South Korean government has raised the crisis alert to its highest level and has taken the extraordinary step of relocating thousands of prisoners as a precautionary measure. Emergency relief and financial aid have been promised to those displaced by the fires.
For residents, the ordeal has been harrowing. Apple farmer Cho Jae-oak described how he and his wife spent the day spraying water around their home in a desperate attempt to protect it.
“We kept spraying and guarded,” he said. “When the fire was burning on the mountain, fireballs flew here. Eventually, we had no choice but to leave.”
