Photo Story: 4 Dead and 9 Injured in South Korea Wildfires, Multiple Areas in State of Disaster

According to a report released by the South Korean Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters on Monday (March 24), approximately thirty forest fires that have erupted in Gyeongsang Province and other areas since last Friday (March 21) have resulted in 4 fatalities, 9 injuries, and the southeastern region entering a “disaster state”.

As of Monday morning at 9 o’clock, large-scale forest fires in Sancheong County, Uiseong County, Ulju County, Gimhae City, and Okcheon County have claimed the lives of 4 firefighters and left 9 others injured. The number of injured persons has increased by 3 compared to the previous day.

Simultaneously, the wildfires have damaged 162 buildings including houses, warehouses, temples, and factories. A total of 2,742 residents have been evacuated urgently, with 689 individuals already returning home while the rest remain in temporary shelters. The area affected by the fires continues to expand, with 8,732.6 hectares of forest already burned, the most severe damage occurring in Uiseong County with over 6,000 hectares affected.

The South Korean Forest Service has dispatched 107 helicopters, 766 fire trucks, and 8,785 firefighters to participate in extinguishing operations. Nevertheless, due to dry weather conditions and strong winds, progress in extinguishing the fires has been slow. As of Monday morning at 9 o’clock, the extinguishing rate in Uiseong County, Sancheong, Ulju, and Gimhae is only 65%, 70%, 69%, and 96% respectively. The firefighting efforts in Okcheon were concluded the prior day.

South Korean Acting President Choi Sang-mook presided over the “Third Meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters” at the government office in Seoul on Sunday (March 23), announcing that the disaster areas of Gyeongsang Province, Ulsan City, and North Gyeongsang Province have been declared in a “state of disaster”. He further stated that all resources will be mobilized and utilized by the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters to thoroughly extinguish the ongoing wildfires.