Deadly South Korean wildfires double the size of a “unprecedented” threat spread

South Korean wildfires doubled in size on Thursday from a day ago as authorities called the fire a spirit, the country’s worst natural fire disaster, with at least 26 people killed and historic temples burned.

More than 33,000 hectares have been scorched or are still burning in the largest fire in central Urisen County, making it the largest single forest fire in South Korea’s history. The previous record was 24,000 hectares of the fire in March 2000.

“We are in a critical situation nationwide due to the rapid and rapid spread of forest fires,” Acting President Han Duck-soo said in a government response meeting.

South Korea relies on helicopters to put out forest fires due to the terrain of its mountainous areas, while the military released a large amount of aviation fuel to help them keep flying as they tried to burn flames from mountainous areas in the southeast of the country for nearly a week.

The Ministry of Security said more than 120 helicopters have been deployed in three areas fighting the fire.

The wildfires originating from Uiseong have been moving quickly eastward, almost spreading to the coast, and have been helped by gusts and dry conditions.

It rains a little, but not much

Although the Meteorological Bureau predicts rainfall in the southwest, it is expected that precipitation in most affected areas will not exceed five millimeters.

“The amount of rain will be small, so trying to put out the fires is not very helpful,” South Korean Forest Services Minister Lim Sang-Seop told the briefing.

Experts say the Uiseong fires showed extremely unusual transmission in terms of their size and speed, and climate change is expected to make wildfires more frequent and deadly around the world.

In a report, an independent agency composed of scientists and researchers, higher temperatures caused by human-induced climate change promote existing seasonal drying conditions, “turning dry landscapes into dangerous fires.”