Worst wildfires in Korean history claim 27 lives as firefighting struggle to contain blaze

A total of 27 people had died as of 5:30 p.m. on March 27 as a result of the wildfires devastating Korea’s southeast, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters.

The Uiseong fire, which started Saturday, is the most catastrophic wildfire in recorded Korean history, scorching at least 33,204 hectares (82,048 acres) — analogous to 46,766 football pitches — and resulting in 23 deaths and 19 injuries.

At around 2 p.m. on Thursday, authorities said the Uiseong fire was progressing at an unprecedented speed of 8.2 kilometers (5.09 miles) per hour — equivalent to a car moving at 60 kilometers per hour. The fire was 52 percent contained as of Thursday afternoon.

The fire spread eastward and engulfed swaths of nearby Yeongdeok, Cheongsong and Yeongyang counties and the city of Andong, with the regions designated a special disaster zone on Thursday. The fire even reached the East Sea coast.

The Uiseong fire reached Yeongdeok County at around 6 p.m. Tuesday when the fire watcher was observing the spread of the blaze.

A police officer said it appeared that the 69-year-old victim was trapped by the fire while returning home after work.

Yi Han-kyung, deputy chief of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, said most of the dead or fatally injured victims “were older people in their 60s or over.”

He added that several instances involved victims who had mobility problems or refused to evacuate.

In Yeongdeok County’s Maejeong-ri, a married couple in their 80s died in their home after failing to escape from the Uiseong fire.

Three patients from a nursing home in Yeongdeok County died after their car exploded during an evacuation on Tuesday night.

An employee from the facility said the victims “could have been rescued if the county issued an evacuation order a bit sooner.” The evacuation notice was sent at around 8:25 p.m.

The nursing home’s statement appeared to have spurred local authorities to issue evacuation orders preemptively and promptly.

Hwangjang-ri, an inland town in the county, issued an evacuation order at 6 p.m. — around two to three hours earlier than Maejeong-ri. Nearly all residents from Hwangjang-ri evacuated safely to their shelter.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters said 29,911 residents from North Gyeongsang had been evacuated due to the fire risk, according to Yonhap News Agency.

At around 10:29 a.m., Andong ordered residents to evacuate as the fire shifted toward the city’s commercial district. Around four hours later, fire authorities contained the blaze some 2 kilometers away from the area with the help of fire-extinguishing helicopters.

The rapid spread of the Uiseong fire is attributed to the pine trees that cover North Gyeongsang’s mountains. Pine trees hold resin with turpentine, an oil-based flammable ingredient.

According to the Korea Forest Service on Thursday, pine trees covered 457,902 hectares of North Gyeongsang in 2020, the most of any province or provincial-level city in the country.

Another wildfire in Sancheong County, South Gyeongsang, has burned for seven days since last Friday. The fire was 80 percent contained as of Thursday afternoon.

The Ulju fire in Ulsan was 81 percent contained as of 3 p.m. Thursday, according to Ulsan mayor Kim Doo-gyeom.

The Sancheong fire displaced 1,797 people, while the Uiju fire caused 383 people to evacuate.

Although rain was expected nationwide on Thursday, the Gyeongsang region will likely receive very little — possibly less than five millimeters (0.19 inches).

The state-run Korea Meteorological Administration said the air will likely remain dry even after the rainfall on Thursday. The forecast means that expected precipitation would be insufficient to contain the blaze.

On Thursday, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said it would grant another 5.5 billion won ($3.75 million won) in special subsidies to North and South Gyeongsang provinces and Ulsan to curb the further spread of wildfires and support damage relief.

In addition, acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo also ordered acting Interior Minister Ko Ki-dong to orchestrate firefighting efforts and to stay in North Gyeongsang until the “worst-ever” wildfires are contained.

BY JEONG EUN-JI, KIM JI-HYE, LEE EUN-JI, LEE SOO-JUNG [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]