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The blazes that began in Uiseong have become the biggest single forest fire in South Korea's history, destroying an area equivalent to about two-thirds of the island of Singapore.
A firefighting helicopter carries water during an operation as a wildfire burns, in Yeongyang, South Korea, Mar 28, 2025. (Photo: REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji)
ANDONG: Light rain offered some relief to South Korean authorities tackling the country's worst wildfires on record, with exhausted firefighters making another push on Friday (Mar 28) to contain blazes stretching 70km.
At least 28 people have died and more than 45,000 hectares of largely forest land in the country's southeast have been charred or are burning, as strong winds have driven blazes from central Uiseong county to coastal regions over the past week.
Uiseong reported fires had been put out in 95 per cent of the area as of early Friday, and flames in 85 per cent of the neighbouring Andong city, which is home to UNESCO World Heritage sites, have been doused, according to the Korea Forest Service.
A view of a wildfire burning in the mountain in Cheongsong, South Korea, Thursday, March 27. 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
A wildfire spreads on a mountain in Sancheong, South Korea, Thursday, Mar 27, 2025. (Photo: AP/Kim Dong-min/Yonhap)
Yeongdeok county on the east coast, where the fire spread from the initial blaze more than 70km away in under 12 hours, was still fighting to contain the flames, with nearly a third of the area still ablaze.
Light rain of less than 3mm fell in some parts of the regions on Thursday and had offered "a little help", forest service spokesman Kim Jong-gun said.
Firefighters and helicopters were taking advantage of more favourable weather and better visibility to make a push to make more progress before winds are expected to pick up later on Friday, he said.
The blazes that began in Uiseong have become the biggest single forest fire in South Korea's history, destroying an area equivalent to about two-thirds of the island of Singapore.
An 81-year-old apple farmer who lost her crop walks with sticks past her neighbours' homes, burned by a wildfire two days ago, in Andong on Mar 27, 2025. (Photo: AFP/Yasuyoshi CHIBA)
Firefighting helicopter carries water from a water source during an operation as a wildfire burns, in Yeongyang, South Korea, Mar 28, 2025. (Photo: REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji)
South Korean army soldiers work to prevent the further spread of wildfires in Uiseong, South Korea, on Mar 27, 2025. (Photo: AP/Ahn Young-joon)
Wildfires also burned large areas in other regions of South Korea.
More than 80 helicopters started flying at daybreak on Friday to dump water, the safety ministry said. South Korea relies on helicopters to fight forest fires because of its mountainous terrain. A helicopter pilot died on Wednesday after crashing while trying to tackle a blaze.
Experts have said the Uiseong fire showed extremely unusual spread in terms of its scale and speed, and that climate change is expected to make wildfires more frequent and deadly globally.
The wildfires have displaced more than 30,000 residents, many of whom are elderly, and ravaged everything in their path, including historic temples and homes, in the mountainous forest regions of North Gyeongsang province.
