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Raging fires destroy homes and historic sites as dry, windy conditions persist.
Destructive wind-blown wildfires, some of the worst in South Korean history, have consumed the nation's southern provinces, killing 18 and displacing 27,000 residents. Burning under dry conditions and strong winds, the blazes consumed more than 200 buildings, including houses, factories, and an ancient Buddhist temple, officials said Wednesday.
The Korea Forest Service indicated that the wildfire have burned an area of 43,330 acres, representing the third-largest wildfires in the country's history by area burned. The fire warning was heightened to the extreme "serious" level by the authorities, a sign of excessive fire danger considering the prevailing dry conditions and sustained winds.
Acting President Han Duck-soo cautioned that damages would be unprecedented, urging swift firefighting efforts. "Damages are snowballing," Han told the nation in a televised speech. "We must focus all our strength to extinguish the wildfires this week."
But powerful gusts have undermined containment efforts, spreading flames quickly overnight. Firefighters had initially contained large fires, but wind and dryness rekindled them. Over 4,650 people and 130 helicopters are fighting the fires, with a hope that 5-10 millimeters of rain forecasted Thursday for could bring relief.
The fires have most strongly affected Andong, Uiseong, Sancheong, and Ulsan, with thousands of locals instructed to leave their homes. Wildfires destroyed close to half of the buildings at Gounsa Temple in Uiseong, including two ancient "treasures" from centuries past.
The authorities believe human intervention might have ignited the blazes, and causes include grass fires around mausoleums and sparks from welding. As it remains to work towards containing the devastation, South Korea shut down its forests and fire-fighting measures.
More attention has been drawn to increasing meteorological risks within the region by human activities, high winds, and a prolonged drought that have worsened the wildfire scenario.
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