Massive wildfires in Korea leave 4 dead, over 1,500 evacuated

By Kim Hyun-bin

Nearly 30 wildfires took place across the nation during the weekend, killing at least four and forcing more than 1,500 residents to evacuate, mostly in southeastern regions of the country, officials at firefighting authorities said Sunday.

The fires led the government to declare a state of national disaster on Saturday.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, Sunday, at least 28 wildfires were reported as of Sunday afternoon amid dry weather.

The first and most serious one broke in Sancheong in South Gyeongsang Province on Friday evening. Fire authorities suspect sparks from a brush cutter at a farm there started the fire. Firefighters there initially said they put out 70 percent of the fire on Saturday morning, but strong winds helped spread the flames to nearby regions.

During the firefighting operation in Sancheong, four wildfire responders and public servants were killed while five others suffered serious injuries and one person sustained minor injuries.

Ulju in Ulsan and Uiseong in North Gyeongsang Province also had large-scale wildfires, which spread to neighboring regions.

Some 100 helicopters from the Korea Forest Service (KFS), police, fire department, military and local governments have been mobilized to battle the fires in the three regions, where thousands of hectares of land have been scorched, along with more than 600 fire trucks and other equipment and nearly 6,400 personnel.

The fires have also destroyed some 40 homes, and over 1,500 residents in the three areas have been evacuated to temporary shelters, including community centers and gymnasiums.

On Saturday evening, the government declared a state of disaster for the regions, enabling mass mobilization of personnel and equipment, evacuation orders and financial support for affected residents.

Of them, Sancheong was additionally designated as a special disaster zone by acting President Choi Sang-mok. It marks the sixth time Korea has designated a special disaster area due to a major wildfire.

Under the designation, the government will subsidize recovery costs for damaged private and public property. Additional assistance includes financial support for displaced residents, tax payment deferrals and reductions in public utility bills.

Lee Han-kyung, an official of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety who plays the deputy chief role of the disaster control tower, urged people to exercise caution, noting that human negligence is a leading cause of wildfires. “We strongly request the public to avoid carrying inflammables during mountain hikes, refrain from burning agricultural waste and dispose of smoking materials properly,” Lee said during a government briefing Sunday.

KFS data shows that spring is the season with the largest number of wildfires. Of 5,455 cases that took place from 2015 to 2024, 56 percent broke out between March and May, due primarily to dry weather and strong winds along with an increase in hiking after winter.