40 regions nationwide battle wildfires fueled by strong winds

A series of large wildfires that broke out simultaneously in Sancheong and Gimhae in South Gyeongsang, Uiseong in North Gyeongsang, and Ulju in Ulsan over three days starting on the 21st killed four people and burned forest areas equivalent to the size of 4,600 soccer fields by March 23. Hot, dry weather and strong winds are expected to continue, with no rain forecast until mid-week, making it difficult to extinguish the fires. The government declared a state of disaster at 6 p.m. on the 22nd.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCHQ) on the 23rd, a wildfire broke out in Sicheon-myeon, Sancheong County, at around 3:26 p.m. on the 21st, prompting the issuance of Stage 3—the highest level of wildfire response. The fire spread rapidly due to strong winds and dry weather, and as of 1 p.m. on the 23rd, the extinguishment rate remained at 65%. The wildfire has claimed the lives of four individuals, including three members of the Wider Mountain Firefighting Team from Changnyeong County, South Gyeongsang Province, and one supervising government official. Forestry authorities believe they were caught in the flames due to a sudden headwind during the firefighting operation.

The area near Sincheon-ri in Sicheon-myeon, where the incident occurred, is 650 to 950 meters above sea level. In addition to the fatalities, five firefighters sustained injuries while battling the blaze, and one evacuated resident suffered from smoke inhalation—bringing the total number of casualties to 10. Furthermore, 10 houses were destroyed in Sancheong and 24 in Uiseong.

In Uiseong, a forest fire—believed to have been caused by a visitor to a grave who mistakenly used fire—continued for a second day. The area is experiencing strong winds of 17.9 meters per second, strong enough to blow away signboards, contributing to the fire’s spread. As of 1 p.m. on the 23rd, the extinguishment rate was 51%. The "valley wind," which blows from the valley toward the mountain peak, has also made firefighting efforts more difficult.

In Ulju County, a forest fire broke out on the 22nd, and a Stage 3 wildfire response was declared for the second consecutive day. Wildfires have also broken out in Gimhae and Hamyang in South Gyeongsang Province and Okcheon in North Chungcheong Province, with fires continuing to spread across the central and southern regions.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCHQ) reported that 3,286 hectares (ha) of forest had been burned as of 8 a.m. on the 23rd, due to simultaneous wildfires across the country. By region, 1,802 ha were burned in Uiseong, 1,329 ha in Sancheong, 85 ha in Ulju, and 70 ha in Gimhae. As of 8 a.m., 1,514 residents had been evacuated to temporary housing facilities, including 951 in Uiseong, 335 in Sancheong, 80 in Ulju, and 148 in Gimhae. “From midnight on the 22nd to the afternoon of the 23rd, a total of 40 forest fires broke out across the country,” the CDSCHQ stated. Choi Sang-mok, Acting President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Economy and Finance, declared Sancheong-County a special disaster area the previous day.


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