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The southern regions of South Korea are ablaze due to multiple wildfires with officials reporting a death toll of 26, along with over 300 structures being destroyed. Countless personnel and dozens of helicopters were once again summoned on Thursday as they attempt to salvage ‘the county’s worst-ever blazes’.
Korea Forest Service Chief Lim Sang-seop noted that “a small amount” of rain, which does not exceed 5 millimeters, is expected on Thursday. However, he states that this will not play a meaningful role in extinguishing the wildfires.
Among the dead is a pilot whose helicopter crashed while attempting to contain a fire, and four firefighters along with other employees who have been overtaken by the fast flames and subsequently powerful winds.
Aside from the the civilian casualties, authorities informed that the deceased are predominantly over the age of 60. They believe the causation behind the wildfires that sparked last Friday, stem from human negligence; ranging from people attempting to clear overgrown grass from grave sites to overzealous sparks during welding work.
The southeast land impacted by the wildfires amounts to 35,810 hectares, approximately 88,488 acres of land. In the words of the government’s disaster response center, this is the worst South Korean figure ever reported. The report notes that 30 people have been injured due to the blaze, alongside the destruction of 320 buildings and the evacuation of more than 24,200 people.
Over 9,000 personnel and approximately 120 helicopters were sent to battle the wildfires as of 9:45pm on October the sixth and the aid is expected to last for two weeks. This information was provided by the disaster response center on their Tuesday brief before informing all personnel on the ground of the shift change.
Acting President Han Duck-soo said live, “There are concerns that we’ll have wildfire damages that we’ve never experienced. There are currently no estimates or important intel regarding the outcome of these fires. All response centers are clear however that every resource goes to the fires.” Damage has already been confirmed, in Sancheong Uiseong Andong, and Duck-soo has noted these regions are only worsening.
The high speed winds Wednesday night resulted in the turning of smoke into fires, which were observed closer to civilizations. Afterwards, officials were left with no choice other than to empty villages situated around the picturesque Hahoe folk village, a UNESCO World Heritage Site cinema from the 1400s. Having witnessed this, hikers were forced to exit Jiri Mountain while the fire risk peaked.
Earlier this week, experts assessed that the firefighters were able to put out the majority of the flames in several key areas of the largest wildfires. However, strong winds along with dry conditions caused the fire to spread once again. A combination of houses, factories, vehicles, and even some historical buildings were destroyed due to the rampant fires. In Uiseong, approximately 20 out of the 30 buildings at the Gounsa temple complex, which was said to have been built in the 7th century, have been scorched. These include two state-designated “treasures,” one which is a pavilion shaped building overlooking a stream built in 1668, and the other is a Joseon dynasty building erected in 1904, built to celebrate the longevity of a king. The Korea Forest Service has now elevated the wildfire alert to the highest level, compelling local authorities to allocate additional staff to emergency management, enforce further access limitations to forests and parks, and advise military forces to refrain from live-fire training exercises.
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