Rain, cooler weather help South Korean firefighters to contain disastrous wildfires

Thousands of firefighters are successfully containing the most devastating wildfires in South Korea’s history, helped by better visibility and cooler temperatures from overnight rain.

"We plan to mobilize all available resources to extinguish the main flames by the end of the day," said Lim Sang-seop, chief of the Korea Forest Service (KFS), Yonhap News Agency reported Friday.

The improved visibility and temperatures have created favorable conditions to control the blazes, according to Lim.

The containment rate of the massive wildfire in Uiseong which has spread to other regions for eight days has risen to 95 percent, officials said.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters said wildfires in North and South Gyeongsang provinces have caused 65 casualties, comprising 28 deaths and 37 injuries, according to Yonhap News Agency.

More than 37,000 residents have been displaced, including 30,000 in the Uiseong and Andong areas about 190 kilometers (118 miles) southeast of Seoul.

Wildfires have devastated the region, burning 48,000 hectares of woodland, according to government data.

Some 20,485 people have returned home after evacuation, while the remaining 16,700 are still staying in shelters.

Three elderly residents died when a vehicle carrying them became engulfed in flames during an evacuation of a nursing home which housed 21 residents, all in their 70s and 80s, in Yeongdeok-eup, Yeongdeok County in eastern South Korea.

Historical artifacts at risk

The flames also gutted the historic Gounsa Temple in Uiseong County, originally built in 681 AD by a Buddhist monk during the Silla Dynasty. Cultural officials moved the temple’s 9th-century Stone Seated Buddha and other historical artifacts to safety before the fire reached the site.

Thousands of firefighters, dozens of helicopters and emergency vehicles have been deployed since the fires began last Friday in Sancheong County, South Gyeongsang Province. Fueled by strong, dry winds, the wildfires have since spread rapidly north to Uiseong, Andong, Cheongsong, Yeongyang and Yeongdeok.

The South Korean military has also deployed more than 5,000 service members and sent 146 helicopters to help fight the fires alongside thousands of firefighters.​​​​​​​ Korea University announced Wednesday that it will offer scholarships to students from the areas affected by the wildfires.

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Source: TRT