2025 South Korea wildfires

The Sancheong County fire began on March 21, 2025, and by the evening of March 22 had consumed approximately of land. The mountainous topography combined with strong winds and dry conditions significantly hampered containment efforts, with firefighters achieving only 35% containment despite substantial deployment of resources for combating the wildfire after earlier reaching 70% containment. Fires in North Gyeongsang Province burned approximately , while Gimhae experienced additional significant fires requiring evacuations. A wildfire broke out in Ulsan, Ulju County. Additional wildfires that broke out simultaneously have affected multiple regions throughout central and southern South Korea. The Korea Forest Service issued its highest-level "severe" fire warnings for 12 locations, including Daejeon, Busan, and the North and South Gyeongsang Provinces. March 23 At 4:03 pm, a fire broke out on Mokdo Island, Ulju-gun, Ulsan, and was extinguished after 1 hour and 50 minutes. March 24 At 3 pm on March 24, the Seosan–Yeongdeok Expressway Jeomgok Rest Stop for the Yeongdeok direction was damaged by a forest fire. The forest fire then spread to the mountains of Hyeonha-ri, Gilan-myeon, Andong, and Gyeongsangbuk-do. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo visited the Forest Fire Integrated Command Center and inspected the forest fire response situation. March 25 On March 25, the National Fire Agency raised its fire response level to the highest of three alert levels. That same day, the Gounsa temple in Uiseong, which dates back from the Silla period, was destroyed by the wildfires, which occurred after the National Treasures in its collection had been evacuated. At least 92 private and public facilities in the county were also damaged by the fire. Eleven firefighters who assisted in the evacuation of items and monks and other personnel at the complex were rescued after being trapped in a bathhouse for several hours when the fires arrived. The Korea Heritage Service issued a 'serious' national heritage disaster national crisis alert nationwide. By that same day, more than of land had been burned in the wildfires. March 26 In Yeongdeok County, 104 residents became stranded at a coastal port and breakwater while attempting to flee the advancing fire during the early morning hours of March 26. These individuals required subsequent rescue operations by the Uljin Coast Guard. Media outlets ascribed blame for the situation to the failure of Korean emergency response services to coordinate the regional evacuation process. Two of three buildings of the Cheorwon Mushroom Farm burnt down in Seo-myeon, Cheorwon County, Gangwon Province. At noon, an S-76 firefighting helicopter crashed while responding to fires in Uiseong, killing the pilot. The helicopter was later found to have a 30-year airframe age. On the same day, tap water supply in certain high-altitude areas of Andong were cut off due to a power outage at the pressurized water supply facility caused by the wildfire. The areas included the myeons of Imha, Namhu, Iljik, Namseon, Imdong, Pungcheon, and Gilan. March 27 North Gyeongsang Province experienced intermittent rain, though its extinguishing power was minimal. The province also experienced exceptionally poor air quality, with PM2.5 particulate reaching the concentration of 557μg/m3 in Andong, seven times the "extremely poor" designation. By 5 pm, the fire spread to two kilometers outside of Andong limits. The fire department reported containment of the spread, though it remained cautious about high winds reigniting the flames. March 28 Authorities announced the full containment of wildfires in North Gyeongsang. March 29 Wildfires reignited in the Andong area early in the morning. March 30 Authorities announced the full containment of wildfires in North and South Gyeongsang. April 6 A second helicopter crashed while fighting the fires in northwestern Daegu, killing its pilot. April 7 At noon, a wildfire broke out on a mountain in Hadong County, injuring one person who is suspected by authorities of starting the fire while using a turf cutter. At least of land were affected, while at least 506 people were evacuated. April 10 In the afternoon, a wildfire broke out in the eastern part of the Korean Demilitarized Zone in Goseong County, Gangwon. April 26 In the afternoon, a wildfire broke out in a mountainous area near Inje County, Gangwon. April 28 In the afternoon, a wildfire broke out at the mountain Hamjisan in Daegu, affecting at least 57 hectares and prompting the National Fire Agency to order the mobilization of all available national personnel and equipment. The Korea Forest Service also issued its highest wildfire response Level 3. April 29 The Hamjisan fire was declared contained. April 30 The Hamjisan fire reignited in the afternoon, prompting evacuations again. May 1 The main section of the Hamjisan fire was declared contained again. June 1 A wildfire broke out on Suraksan in Nowon District in Seoul and was contained that same evening. == Casualties and damage ==

At least 32 people were confirmed to have died in the wildfires, while 51 others were injured, nine of them seriously. It is the deadliest wildfire outbreak in South Korea since records began in 1987. Twenty of the dead originated from Uiseong, while four were from Sancheong. Most of the dead were aged in sixties to seventies. The confirmed fatalities included three firefighting personnel and one public sector worker who perished while combating the Sancheong County fire. Three civilians in Yeongdeok and five in Yeongyang were also found dead. The chief of the village of Samui-ri was killed along with his wife and two relatives died after their car was caught up in the fires. One person also went missing in Cheongsong. On March 26, a firefighting helicopter crashed in Uiseong, killing the pilot. Another firefighting helicopter crashed on April 6 in Daegu, killing the pilot. Around 4,015 houses, 1,914 agricultural and livestock facilities, seven temples and 986 other structures were damaged by the wildfires, Only nine of the complex's 30 buildings were unaffected by the fire. The Korea Heritage Service also confirmed damage to 30 heritage sites. Among them were the Chiljoknyeong Pass on Baegunsan in Gangwon Province; a 900-year-old ginkgo tree and the Goryeo-era Dubangjae Shrine in Hadong, South Gyeongsang; an evergreen forest and a centuries-old fortress in Ulsan; the Joseon-era Mansae Pavilion, the late 18th-century Sanam House in Cheongsong, and the stone seated Buddha statue at Manjang Temple in Uiseong. The Yakgye Pavilion in Andong and the Gigokjesa ritual house in Cheongsong were also destroyed. An assessment by the government in April 2025 found that wildfires in North Gyeongsang alone had damaged about , while were affected in South Gyeongsang Province and in Ulsan. ==Investigation==

The Uiseong wildfire was attributed by Acting President Han Duck-soo to an accident caused by a person who was tending to a family grave site and used a lighter to remove a tree branch hanging over the site, triggering embers that were spread by winds. The suspect was formally charged by police on 30 March. The Sancheong-Hadong fire was found to have been caused by a brush cutter at a farm, while a fire in Ulju was blamed on a welding operation at a farm. The Gimhae fire was caused by a graveyard keeper who burned a bag of chips, while a wildfire in Hamyang was found to have been started by sparks from a fence being welded as protection from wildlife. On April 11, police in Wonju arrested a woman on suspicion of starting five fires near the mountain Chiaksan between March 26 and April 6. == Response ==

at the Sancheong Wildfires Response Meeting, 21 March The firefighting operation has involved nearly 1,600 personnel, 35 helicopters, and numerous ground vehicles. Acting President of South Korea Choi Sang-mok directed all relevant government agencies to employ the maximum available resources for fire suppression activities. The national administration formally declared North and South Gyeongsang provinces and Ulsan as disaster zones, enabling additional emergency resources and support measures. The government said that it would issue a special disaster and safety grant amounting to 2.6 billion won (US$177.4 million) for the affected areas, and pledged 50 million won in disaster relief funds for affected residents of Sancheong County. The South Korean government mobilized more than 25% of affiliated government officials and deployed over 50% of local public service personnel to standby positions in areas placed under "severe" fire conditions. Military shooting exercises in the warning regions were suspended, and forest entry permits were canceled. Areas designated with "alert" fire warnings had more than one-sixth of affiliated government officials mobilized, with over one-third of local public service personnel being mobilized to standby positions. Wildfires Emergency Meeting, 25 March The emergency displaced at least 37,829 people and necessitated the evacuation of residents from 15 villages in affected areas. This included the evacuation of 260 residents of Sancheong County to temporary shelters after their homes were destroyed by wildfires from the surrounding hillsides, the displacement of 500 individuals in Uiseong County, and dozens of residents of Gimhae. while 800 inmates were also evacuated from Andong Prison. The evacuations were the first large-scale operations of its kind conducted by the Ministry of Justice due to a natural disaster. The agency also said it had relocated 15 historic items, including 10 national treasures, from affected areas, including pieces from Bongjeongsa in Andong, Buseoksa in Yeongju, and Gounsa in Uiseong. It also confirmed eight cases of damage to cultural sites, including at Gounsa, where all but nine of the complex's 30 buildings were destroyed. Among them were the Yeongsu Hall and Gaunru Pavilion, both of which are designated national treasures. Evacuation orders were issued to residents of Byeongsan Seowon and the Hahoe Folk Village, which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, as well as the Daejeon Temple in Cheongsong. A large fire cannon was deployed to Hahoe to protect the village, along with 14 firefighting vehicles and 98 personnel. Impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol expressed condolences over the wildfires. Following his reinstatement as acting president, Han Duck-soo sent handwritten letters to relatives of those killed in the wildfires and said he would meet with other wildfire victims on March 24. He also ordered local governments to "mobilize all available administrative resources to ensure residents in the affected areas can quickly move to safe locations", and announced a crackdown on illegal incineration as well as a review on government regulations on wildfire prevention and response. On March 27, Han sent acting interior minister to oversee relief efforts in North Gyeongsang. On March 28, Han visited Andong and met with disaster officials and victims of the wildfires. Hyundai Motor Group, SK Group and LG Group donated KRW2 billion (US$1.26 million) each to assist in recovery efforts, while Lotte Group donated KRW1 billion and Shinsegae Group gave KRW500 million. They also sent additional services and equipment, including eight vehicles and other appliances and necessities. SPC Group and Oriental Brewery delivered bottled water to affected areas. Multiple K-pop figures sent donations to wildfire relief, including boy group Seventeen, who donated 1 billion won to the Hope Bridge National Disaster Relief Association, Ulju native Lee Chan-won, who gave 100 million won (US$68,000) to the Korea Disaster Relief Association, singer Jung Kook, who donated 1 billion won to the Hope Bridge National Disaster Relief Association, girl group Le Sserafim, who donated 50 million won to the Hope Bridge National Disaster Relief Association, actress and singer Im Yoon-ah, who donated 100 million won to the Community Chest of Korea, and singer Taeyeon, who donated 100 million won to the Korean Red Cross. The entertainment company Hybe also donated 1 billion won ($682,000) to the Korea Heritage Service and the National Trust for Cultural Heritage to fund the restoration of cultural heritage damaged by the wildfires. By March 28, the Korea Disaster Relief Association said it had raised 1.83 billion won in fundraising to buy firefighting equipment. As of April 7, a total of 112.4 billion won (US$75 million) has been raised in multiple relief efforts for the disaster. On April 6, the South Korean government said it would issue long-term residency visas to three Indonesian nationals, including a sailor, who helped evacuate elderly residents during the wildfires in Uiseong. Criticism The Korean disaster response has become the subject of significant criticism from media outlets, who have stated that the uncoordinated and "immature" responses have contributed to the number of deaths and casualties caused by the wildfires. The stranding of 104 residents in Yeongdeok County at a coastal port and breakwater while attempting to flee the advancing fire during early morning hours was regarded as a consequence of improper coordination concerning the evacuation process. Critics noted that despite the fire's demonstrated ability to spread rapidly between jurisdictions, authorities appeared reluctant to order preemptive evacuations in areas that were clearly at risk based on fire progression and weather conditions. == List of major wildfires ==