Summary

  • Firefighters are racing to save people and ancient artefacts from the largest wildfires in South Korea's history, which have killed at least 27 people so far

  • Tens of thousands have also been displaced in the blazes, which started in the south-east on 21 March

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

  • Eyewitnesses described apocalyptic scenes as fires engulfed their homes, with one man telling the BBC the damage in his city has been "devastating"

  • Authorities believe human activities started multiple fires, but strong winds and dry land allowed them to spread quickly

  • The winds also make it dangerous for helicopters to operate - one crashed while fighting the fires on Tuesday

  • The fires have gutted a 1,300-year-old temple in Uiseong city and are threatening other cultural sites

Watch: Historic Buddhist temples burn in South Korea wildfires

Live Reporting

Edited by Sean Seddon, with reporting from Jake Kwon, David Oh, Hyunjung Kim, and Suhnwook Lee in Seoul

  1. Scenes of devastation as fires raze homes and districts

    The deadly fires, fuelled by strong winds and dry land, have engulfed entire neighbourhoods and charred some religious landmarks. Twenty-six people have been killed while the inferno rages. These are some apocalyptic scenes from the ground.

    A cattle feed manufacturing plant enguled by flames on 26 MarchGetty Images

    A cattle feed manufacturing plant enguled by flames on Wednesday

    Men carry wrapped-up Buddha statues down a dirt roadGetty Images

    Men carry packed Buddha statues away from the Bongjeong Temple as wildfires approach

    Flames on a dark hillside near a church steeple topped by a neon red crossGetty Images

    Flames sprint down a hillside in Andong

    Officers examine a burnt-out car along the road in North GyeongsangEPA

    Officers examine a burnt-out car along the road in North Gyeongsang province

    This cracked bell at Goun Temple in the North Gyeongsang, where many other structures have been burned to the groundEPA

    This cracked bell at Goun Temple in the North Gyeongsang, where many other structures have been burned to the ground

  2. A crisis that's taken South Koreans by surprise

    Jake Kwon
    Reporting from Seoul

    Here in Korea, we usually hear about fires in spring and fall – but this is the worst we've seen.

    At restaurants, the TVs are tuned in to special reports. People are glued to the images of the burned-out villages and the red glow in the sky. Our phones ring multiple times a day with emergency warning texts sent by the government.

    A fire of this size last happened 25 years ago. But it was never this deadly.

    Most of those killed in the current wildfires were local residents in their 60s and 70s, who were trapped by the rapidly moving flames.

    Looking at the map of wildfires in recent times, you will notice that they are mostly near the coast. Strong wind like this isn't normal in the inland.

    Uiseong county, where they have it the worst, is 65km from the water.

    There is also a strong shadow of climate change here. Lee Han-gyeong, the government official in charge of emergency response, said "we are witnessing the reality of climate crisis like never before".

  3. 'The fire destroyed everything'

    Rachel Lee
    Reporting from Seoul

    A resident of Andong city, who asked not to be named, told BBC Korean that her house was "completely burnt down" within just a few hours.

    Her family had lived in the house for more than 30 years.

    "The fire destroyed everything - 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."

    She received an evacuation alert around 17:00 local time on 25 March.

    Shortly after, she noticed the fire spreading behind the village, rapidly fuelled by strong winds.

    A street with cars and houses, shrouded in a brown hazeGet

    Wildfire smoke covers a street at Gilan-Myeon in Andong city

    Within two hours, residents were banned from entering the area. When they were allowed to return around 10pm, many found their homes destroyed. Fires were still visible in the nearby forest.

    The resident, who lives separately from her family due to work, rushed to the scene after receiving a message about the damage.

    "When I saw the house, I couldn’t hold back my tears," she said.

    She described the village as being in total disarray. Nearby farmland and storage areas where crops were kept had also been damaged.

    Raging flames in the background of a traffic junctionGetty Images

    Wildfire quickly tore through Andong city

    A day after the fire swept through, residents returned from temporary shelters.

    Some were cleaning homes covered in ash, while others relocated to stay with family in other cities. Although the flames had been extinguished, smoke still filled the village and even reached the town center.

    "Our family never imagined losing our home like this - nor did our neighbors," she said. "People are still in shock. For now, we’re just trying to stay calm and figure out what to do next."

    She expressed concern about the lack of clear information from the authorities: "I contacted the city hall and town office, but they said nothing has been decided yet."

    "No one in the village was prepared," she added. "We had to leave with nothing, and all our belongings are gone. Many of the residents are elderly, so I hope the government can provide temporary shelters where people can stay comfortably."

  4. The view from space

    Satellite images captured by Nasa show smoke from the wildfires rising and then spreading over South Korea's southern region.

    The fires broke out on 21 March and have since covered more than 35,000 hectares.

    Satellite image of South Korea, with the area looking clear.NASA

    Satellite image of Uiseong county, South Korea, on 20 March 2025

    Satellite image of South Korea, with white smoke seen blowing over two areasNASA

    Satellite image of South Korea's southern region on 22 March 2025

    Satellite image of South Korea, with thick white smoke covering the entire regionNASA

    26 March 2025

  5. Watch: 'It completely exploded' - Eyewitness recounts firefighting helicopter crash

    A pilot has died after his firefighting helicopter crashed on Wednesday amid all-out efforts by authorities to contain the wildfires. A resident recounts the moment of the crash, as seen from the ground.

  6. A father recounts how he evacuated with his young family

    Suhnwook Lee
    Reporting from Seoul

    A lift full of luggage, with a toddler sitting in a pramKwon Young-chang

    Kwon Young-chang evacuated with his family

    While the flames haven't directly reached his home, Kwon Young-chang, 35, told the BBC that the smoke filled his neighbourhood, forcing him to evacuate to Yecheon, a town north of Andong.

    "My two-year-old daughter, who just started talking, kept saying, ‘Ouch my eyes,’ ‘Ouch my nose,’ so we had no choice but to evacuate to my in-laws' house in Yecheon on Tuesday," he said.

    "Even in Yecheon, the situation got worse, so I briefly returned to my home in Andong yesterday to bring an air purifier. But things haven’t improved, so we are now heading to Gumi."

    View of houses, behind thick brown smogKwon Young-chang

    The view from Kwon Young-chang's home in Andong city on Wednesday morning.

    Kwon's mother, who lives in downtown Andong, has been "coughing constantly" and developed a fever from the stress, he said. And with his daughter's daycare centre now closed, Kwon takes care of her while his wife goes to work.

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

    "The most serious issue is that the administration is paralysed, making it difficult to access accurate information or respond properly to the ongoing wildfire."

    “At first, we only received text messages telling us to evacuate to a safe place, but there was no information on where to go," Kwon explained. "Later, I got updates through Andong City Hall’s Facebook page or broadcasts. However, elderly people have difficulty accessing such information, which is concerning.”

    Photo of houses, with an orange sky behind a mountain in the backgroundKwon Young-chang

    The fires spread quickly, and have now covered more than 35,000 hectares

  7. Watch: Historic Buddhist temples burn in wildfires

    Videos posted on social media showed fires burning through historic, thousand-year-old temples in South Korea, as firefighters raced to save the country's cultural artefacts from the blazes.

    Unramsa temple and Gounsa temple have both been destroyed in the past week.

    Watch: Historic Buddhist temple burns in South Korea wildfires

  8. How did the fires spread so far, so fast?

    Jake Kwon
    Reporting from Seoul

    Authorities believe the multiple wildfires started by accident from local human activities.

    The largest one, in Uiseong county, began 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 trash burning.

    In rural regions, it is a common practice for residents to burn their own waste.

    The government has been sending out multiple texts a day urging residents to avoid making fires, including to burn their trash. Government workers have been making rounds from door to door to warn and police residents.

    The silhouette of a tree backlit by flames burning on a hillside at nightGetty Images

    The wildfires quickly became the largest in South Korea's history

    South Korea punishes the accidental starting of a wildfire by up to three years in prison or 30 million won (15800 GBP) in fines.

    But the largest culprit is the wind and dry land. The ideal environment for South Korea's largest ever wildfire has been building for the past few weeks. It's only March, but we've already seen temperatures rise to 20 degrees Celsius, which often dries out the air. And strong gusts are sweeping over the inland regions.

    The wind also makes it dangerous for helicopters - essential in combatting wildfire - to operate.

    Yesterday, a helicopter crashed while fighting the fires. Though the exact cause is not yet known, strong wind and low visibility is suspected to be a factor.

  9. The race to protect South Korea's treasures

    Across South Korea's southeastern region, workers are scrambling to move historic artefacts out of flames' reach.

    Authorities say that they have moved more than 10 artefacts, including wooden printing blocks and paintings, from major temples.

    Photos show workers wrapping and cautiously transporting some of these pieces. For those that can't be moved, workers have secured them in fire-retardant wrap.

    Men holding down a large grey bell with engravingsGetty Images

    Workers secure a temple bell in a trailer amid fears that the wildfire may reach Bongjeong Temple in Andong city

    The flames have already destroyed the 1,300-year-old Gounsa Temple in Uiseong County, one of the largest in the province which has long served as a Buddhist landmark.

    The giant Buddha statue sitting in the temple survived, as workers covered it in a fire-retardant blanket hours before the fire reached the site. Other artefacts in the temple had also been moved out as the fire approached.

    As the wildfires continue to spread, authorities are now keeping a close eye on potential damage to two Unesco-listed sites: Hahoe Village and Byeongsan Seowon in Andong City.

    A Buddha statue, wrapped in cotton cloth and a fire-retardant blanket sitting on an altar in a templeGetty Images

    The giant Buddha in Gounsa Temple that has survived the fire

  10. Authorities resume firefighting efforts as deadly blazes spread

    David Oh
    BBC Korean Service, reporting from Seoul

    South Korean authorities resumed operations Thursday to curb the spread of wildfires ravaging the country's southeastern regions.

    Helicopters, fire trucks and more than 5,000 personnel were deployed to battle the blaze in Uiseong County—one of the hardest-hit areas.

    Despite a week-long battle, officials continue to struggle to contain the fires that scorched thousands of hectares and claimed at least 26 lives.

    According to the Korea Forest Service, the wildfire—currently affecting more than 35,000 hectares in North Gyeongsang Province—is the largest in the nation's history.

    Weather forecasts predict around 5 mm of rain in the fire-affected areas, but officials remain cautious.

    "The amount of rain is small, so it does not seem to be of much help in fighting the fire," Lim Sang-seop, head of the Korea Forest Service, said in a briefing.

  11. Wildfires now 'largest on record'

    The wildfires, which have reached 35,810 hectares (88,500 acres), are now the "largest on record", South Korea's disaster chief Lee Han-kyung said on Thursday.

    "The wildfire is spreading rapidly," said Lee, adding that it was "already exceeding the area affected by the 2000 East Coast wildfire, previously the largest on record, by more than 10,000 hectares."

    That wildfire in 2000 consumed an area of 23,913 hectares (59,100 acres).

  12. In Photos: Widespread devastation in South Korea

    A man stands on a road beside a metal barricade. In the background are flames blazing across a forest.Getty Images

    South Korea's worst-ever wildfire outbreak has killed at least 26 people

    Two workers wrap a statue in white clothGetty Images

    Workers scrambled to secure and move important artefacts at risk of being destroyed by the wildfires

    A fire is seen on the hill in the background. In the foreground is another hill with tombstones on it.Getty Images

    The wildfires have scorched more than 35,000 hectares, making them the largest the country has seen

    Helicopters flying in the air, with white smoke rising from the mountains behind.South Korean Army/News1

    Military helicopters were deployed to battle wildfires in the mountainous area of Uiseong County

  13. Catching up on the wildfires

    • The fires started in Sancheong county on Friday and have spread to at least six neighbouring counties, fuelled by strong, dry winds.
    • 26 have died and 30 are injured - eight of them seriously - according to authorities.
    • Officials say most of the people who died were in their 60s and 70s. Most of the evacuees were also elderly - a key demographic in South Korea’s super-aged society.
    • One pilot died on Wednesday after his firefighting helicopter crashed. At least three firefighters have also been killed by the fires.
    • Thousands of firefighters and military personnel have been deployed to contain the blazes.
    • The fires are posing a massive threat to cultural sites. In the city of Uiseong, the fire destroyed the Gounsa temple, one of the largest temples in the province built in 618 AD.

  14. Welcome

    Thanks for joining us as we provide live coverage of the wildfires that have engulfed South Korea’s south-east region - the largest the country has seen.

    The fires, which started on Friday in Sancheong county, have since spread to neighbouring regions and covered nearly 36,000 hectares. Authorities have declared a state of emergency and firefighting efforts are ongoing.

    At least 26 people have been killed and 30 injured, according to local reports. Tens of thousands have been evacuated as the wildfires continue to rage.

    Wildfires are relatively uncommon in South Korea - and casualties of this scale are certainly unprecedented.

    Acting president Han Duck-soo has said that the ongoing crisis was “rewriting the record books for the worst wildfires in our nation's history”.

    Stay with us as we bring you more on what’s happening in South Korea.