South Korean authorities are fighting wildfires that have doubled in size in one day, the worst natural fire disaster in the country.
At least 26 people have been killed and hundreds of buildings have been destroyed in Northern Kyoto's southeastern state, and the country's disaster chief has said the fire has exposed the “hard reality” of global heating.
“This wildfire has once again exposed the harsh reality of the climate crisis that we have never experienced before,” said Lee Han Kyung, chief of the Disaster and Safety Department, pointing to the ultra-dry and strong winds that have exacerbated the damage.
The affected areas have only seen half of the average rainfall this season, but the country has more than twice the number of fires this year.
Over 36,000 hectares (88,960 acres) are burning or burning in the largest fire that began in central Useong County, making it the largest bushfire in South Korea's history. According to the Yonhap news agency, around 37,000 people have been evacuated.
“We are in a critical situation with many casualties due to the rapid spread of unprecedented forest fires,” deputy president Han Duck Thor told the government's response meeting, adding that the number of elderly victims, including people from nursing hospitals, was particularly concerned.
The military has released aviation fuel inventory and assisted fire helicopters flying across the state's mountainous regions into Dauss Frame, where fires have been burning for almost a week. More than 300 structures have been destroyed, officials said.
As of Thursday morning, authorities had mobilized more than 9,000 people and around 120 helicopters to fight the fire, the government's disaster response centre said.
The country's disaster official said the wildfires were now “the largest on record” and burned more forests than the previous flames. The last major wildfire in April 2020 burned 23,913 hectares across the East Coast.
“The wildfires are spreading rapidly,” Lee said. “Forest damage has reached 35,810 hectares, already surpassing areas affected by the 2000 East Coast wildfires, which have already exceeded 10,000 hectares.”
The fatalities include pilots whose helicopter crashed during an effort to contain the fire, including four firefighters and other workers who died after being trapped in a fast flame driven by strong winds.
Authorities have not revealed details of civilian deaths, except that they are in their 60s and 70s. They suspect that human error caused several wildfires that began last Friday. This includes when people clean up overgrown grass from family graves or when sparks are scattered during welding operations.
Last year was South Korea's hottest year, with the Korean Weather Bureau saying that the average annual temperature is 14.5c.
Yeh Sang-Wook, a professor of climatology at Sanno University in Seoul, said the lack of rainfall has dried the land “which creates favorable conditions for wildfires.”
“This can be seen as one of the underlying causes,” he said. “I can't say it's just because of climate change, but climate change is direct [and] It indirectly affects the changes we are experiencing now. This is a simple fact. ”
The flames were threatening two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Andon City on Wednesday, including Ha Ho Village and Bion San Confucian Academy, city officials said as authorities sprayed firefighters to try to protect them.
Neighboring counties of Andong, Uytheon and Sancheong, and the city of Ulsan were hit hardest. On Wednesday night, the sky was filled with winds and smoke ordered evacuation in the southeastern Andong in two villages, including Pancheon, home to Hahoe Folk Village, which was founded around the 14th and 15th centuries. The hikers were encouraged to leave the scenic mountains of Jiri as another fire approached.
The wildfires begin at Uiseong, rapidly migrating eastward, spreading almost to the coast, carried by gusts of winds, and the dry conditions make the situation worse.
Weather agencies predict rain in the southwestern region, but precipitation is expected to be less than 5mm in most affected areas.
“The amount of rain is small so it doesn't seem to be a huge help in putting out the fire,” said Lim Sunthorpe of the South Korean Forest Service.
Officials said earlier this week that firefighters wiped out most of the flames from the biggest wildfires in major areas, but that wind and dry conditions could spread again.
Homes, factories, vehicles and several historic structures have been destroyed by fire. In uiseong, approximately 20 of the 30 structures of the Gounsa Temple Complex, which were said to have been first built in the 7th century, are burned. Among them are pavilion-shaped buildings overlooking the stream in 1668, and a warming dynasty structure built in 1904 to mark the king's lifespan.
Experts say Uiseong fires have shown a very unusual spread in terms of scale and speed, and climate change is expected to make wildfires more frequently and deadly.
The Climate Central Group, an independent institution of scientists and researchers, says the high temperatures amplified by human-focused climate change contribute to existing seasonal arid conditions and “turn arid landscapes into dangerous fire fuels.”
Reuters, Associated Press, Agence France-Presse
