South Korea is battling the most devastating wildfires in its history. According to statements made by the authorities of the Asian nation, not even the blazes that broke out in 2000 had destroyed such a vast area of forest: 35,810 hectares have already gone up in smoke, as indicated on 27 March by Lee Han-kyung, head of the Disaster and Safety department.

6,700 firefighters deployed to tackle the blazes

6,700 firefighters have been deployed to contain the flames, which have already killed at least 28 people, with a further twelve reported as seriously injured. The Ministry of the Interior has however clarified that the toll is still provisional. Among the victims is also the pilot of a helicopter sent to the scene to support firefighters, who crashed in a mountainous area in the province of Uiseong.

The fires broke out last weekend in the south-eastern part of South Korea, where they also destroyed an ancient Buddhist temple. The flames subsequently spread rapidly, driven above all by dry vegetation resulting from rainfall well below average, as well as by particularly strong winds.

27,000 people evacuated, a firefighting helicopter crashes

For this reason, on Wednesday 26 March acting president Han Duck-soo declared a maximum alert status and called for "a national response" in the face of "unprecedented damage". The head of state also stressed that the blazes "are developing in a way that existing models have been unable to predict".

In order to limit the risks to the population, the evacuation of 27,000 people was ordered. In particular, the city of Andong issued an alert for residents of the historic village of Hahoe, a popular tourist site and part of the UNESCO World Heritage list. The town of Byeongsan is also under threat. The relocation of residents was not without difficulties, amid scenes of chaos, power outages and blocked roads. Hundreds of soldiers were also mobilised in an attempt to manage the situation as effectively as possible. The US military is also providing support, including helicopters.

The weight of climate change

Yeh Sank-Wook, a climatologist at Hanyang University in Seoul, explained that "while one cannot say that climate change is the sole cause, it certainly has a direct and indirect influence on what we are experiencing these days".