Centuries-old Buddhist temple destroyed in ‘unprecedented’ and deadly South Korea wildfires

By Gawon Bae and Kathleen Magramo, CNN

Seoul, South Korea (CNN) — South Korea redeployed firefighting helicopters after a fatal crash caused a temporary grounding on Wednesday, as authorities struggle to contain “unprecedented” deadly wildfires that have ravaged the country’s southeast, destroying a centuries-old Buddhist temple.

The helicopter crashed while working to contain a fast-spreading fire in Uiseong County, located more than 125 miles (200 kilometers) southeast of the capital Seoul, according to local fire officials. The pilot, the only person onboard, was confirmed dead.

Thick, orange flames powered by dry air and strong winds have ripped through southern regions in South Korea, fueling the country’s worst-ever wildfires in recent years. At least 27 people have been killed, and more than 30,000 forced to flee their homes, according to the Associated Press. The blaze has also destroyed over 300 structures, with other historical sites under threat.

Among those casualties were four civil servants dispatched to fight the wildfire, authorities said. Many of the civilians killed were aged 60 or older, including some who struggled to escape quickly or others who did not want to evacuate.

The 1,300-year-old Gounsa temple in Uiseong County, a major Buddhist landmark, was among the dozens of buildings that have burned to the ground with its ceremonial bell the only piece appearing somewhat intact, according to photos from the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism.

Some of the artifacts that were in the historic site, including the seated stone Buddha designated a treasure by the state, were spared from the fire as they were relocated to other temples ahead of the approaching blazes, it added.

As of Thursday, the wildfires have burned 36,010 hectares (88,980 acres) of land, according to the South Korean government’s disaster response center.

In recent days, the wildfires have spread across the Uiseong area and reached dangerously close to the historic Hahoe Folk Village in Andong, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Residents of the village have been asked to evacuate and firefighters have sought to protect the traditional homes, known as “hanoks,” by deploying water around the site’s perimeter.

Han Duck-soo, South Korea’s prime minister and acting president, said the fires were the worst the country has seen in recent years and had caused “unprecedented damage.”

“We need to focus all our capabilities on extinguishing wildfires for the rest of this week as we’re concerned about unprecedented wildfire damages,” Han told reporters.

More than 10,000 firefighters, police and civil servants have been deployed to multiple areas in the south since dozens of blazes broke out over the weekend, authorities said.

Officials in Andong and other southeastern areas ordered residents to evacuate on Tuesday as strong and dry winds hampered efforts to contain the blazes. As of Wednesday, 68% of the fire in Uiseong and Andong had been contained, according to authorities.

‘Reality of the climate crisis’

Wildfires are caused by a tangle of factors but as the climate crisis escalates, it’s fueling the hot and dry weather that helps fires burn faster and more intensely.

Unusually warm spring temperatures in South Korea dried out the landscape and, combined with strong winds, set the stage for fast moving fires to eat through the region’s dense forest.

The wildfires have shown “the reality of climate crisis,” Lee Han-kyung, deputy head of the government’s disaster response center, said Thursday, according to the Associated Press, citing local news agency Yonhap.

This year alone, 244 wildfires have been reported in South Korea, 2.4 times higher than the same period last year, according to Han, the country’s prime minister.

As of Wednesday, wildfires were still active in several areas of North and South Gyeongsang and Ulsan city.

Authorities have issued a dry weather alert for the affected areas and wider southeastern regions, however officials hope rain forecasted for Thursday will assist firefighters in their efforts to put out the blazes.

“We sincerely ask the people to pay special attention and cooperate to prevent wildfires so that our neighbors do not have to suffer the same pain due to large-scale wildfires that repeat every year,” Han said.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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CNN’s Sana Noor Haq and Laura Paddison contributed reporting.