Race to save lives and ancient artefacts as wildfires rage

Firefighters in South Korea are racing to save lives and ancient artefacts from the largest wildfire in the country’s history.

At least 27 people have been killed so far, according to the country’s interior ministry – making the blaze also South Korea’s deadliest. A further 32 people have been injured, some seriously.

Most of those killed were in their 60s and 70s, local officials say.

It is thought the wildfires, which first broke out in south-eastern Sancheong county nearly a week ago, were started accidentally by local human activities.

Fuelled by strong and dry winds, the fires have spread to several neighbouring counties, including Uiseong – where the largest of all the blazes currently is.

The authorities believe this fire broke out while visitors were tending to a family grave in the hills. Video footage from the gravesite shows a lighter on the ground.

Other fires are presumed to have been started from a welding spark, or burning of rubbish.

The fires have burned though more than 35,810 hectares (88,500 acres) so far – about half the size of New York City. As they continue to spread, artefacts including wooden printing blocks and paintings, have been moved from major temples.

The authorities are keeping a close eye on potential damage to two Unesco-listed sites: Hahoe Village and Byeongsan Seowon in Andong City.

The fires have already destroyed the Gounsa temple, which was built in 618 AD and was one of the largest temples in the province.

A Buddhist architectural structure deemed a national treasure from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) was also destroyed, forestry authorities confirmed.

Tens of thousands of people have so far been ordered to evacuate because of the fires.

Kwon Young-chang, 35, told the BBC that the smoke filled his neighbourhood in Andong, forcing him to head north to Yecheon.

“The damage in Andong is devastating, and our neighbours, who have suffered great losses, are in deep despair,” he said.

Mr Kwon said the official information he had received had been confusing, and that he had been getting updates from local authorities’ social media pages. He feared that older people would not have access to these.

Another Andong resident, who asked not to be named, told BBC Korean that her house, which her family had lived in for more than 30 years, was “completely burnt down” within just a few hours.

“There’s nothing left. You can’t even tell where the house used to be,” she said. “It’s difficult to see the village like this.”

Jang Jung-suk, who lives in Cheongsong County, says her beekeeping site was completely destroyed by the fire.

“We saw really strong winds the day the fire spread to our village. It was hard to even stand still,” Jang said.

After briefly evacuating, she and her husband returned to find their home damaged and their business, which they had been building for five years and were just starting to reach a point of stability with, gone. Jang says her husband couldn’t hold back tears when he saw the damage.

“I’m at a loss. I need to figure out how to start over,” she said.

While the weather rarely causes wildfires on its own, it can give conditions that help wildfires to take hold and spread.

This is exactly what has happened in South Korea. Temperatures several degrees above the seasonal norm have combined with dry ground, strong winds and low humidity to fuel fires that authorities say were ignited by human activity.

Lee Han-gyeong, the government official in charge of emergency response, said “we are witnessing the reality of climate crisis like never before”.

With additional reporting by Suhnwook Lee