South Korea’s ‘worst ever’ wildfires kill dozens, destroy ancient temples

Blazes burn entire villages and force thousands to evacuate.

A member of the Korea Forest Service observes a wildfire from the side of a road in Andong early on March 27, 2025. One of South Korea's worst-ever wildfire outbreaks has killed at least 24 people, officials said on March 26, with multiple raging blazes causing "unprecedented damage" and threatening two UNESCO-listed sites. (Photo by ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP)

Raging wildfires have killed dozens of people, destroyed centuries-old temples and displaced tens of thousands from their homes in South Korea’s southeast.

The fires, which have ravaged the region for the past six days and were spread by strong winds, mark the country’s worst natural fire disaster, said Han Duck-soo, the country’s acting president and prime minister.

A house that was burnt by wildfire is seen in Andong on March 27. Picture: AFP

More than 24,000 residents were evacuated to nearby shelters, gyms and schools as firefighters struggled to contain the blazes that destroyed homes and heritage sites in Gyeongsang province.

“We are fighting the worst-ever wildfire with all the manpower and equipment we can muster, but it’s an extraordinary situation,” Han said Wednesday.

The deadly fires come as the nation grapples with political turmoil and mass protests triggered by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived declaration of martial law late last year, which led to his impeachment. Han, who also faced impeachment in the aftermath, was reinstated Monday after a court ruled against the move.

A wildfire is seen next to a family tomb in Andong Picture: AFP

The fires covered more than 88,000 acres by Thursday, with more than 300 structures destroyed, according to officials.

Cities and counties in Gyeongsang province were designated special-disaster zones, while authorities had mobilised more than 5,000 firefighters and 78 helicopters on Thursday to tackle the fires.

However, aerial operations were paused Wednesday after a helicopter crashed on a mountain, killing the pilot. Three firefighting rangers and one civil servant also died while extinguishing flames.

On Thursday evening, long-awaited rain pelted down over the county of Uiseong, where villages burned down and thousands of residents were evacuated. The reprieve was likely to be temporary, with rain subsiding and strong winds picking back up overnight, forecasters said.

“The rainfall in some areas has not put out the fires, but it lessened the chances of the blaze spreading to other areas,” said Lim Sang-seop, head of the governmental Korea Forest Service, during a media briefing.

Footage from the region showed towering flames spreading for miles and the charred remains of buildings, as thick black smoke covered the landscape. In Uiseong, a 1,300-year-old Buddhist temple was burned to the ground. Firefighters sprayed Hahoe Folk Village, a UNESCO World Heritage site, with water day and night as flames approached.

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