Seoul: Wildfires reignited in the southeastern part of the country overnight Saturday before firefighters brought them back under control, according to firefighting and regional authorities.
According to Yonhap News Agency, an official with Gyeongbuk Fire Service Headquarters reported that smoke was first noticed in Andong, about 190 kilometers southeast of Seoul in North Gyeongsang Province, at around 10 p.m. on Friday night. Forestry officials believe the fire flared up again around 3 a.m. Saturday.
The Korea Expressway Corp. responded by blocking a section of a nearby highway at 5 a.m., which was reopened just before 9 a.m. With vehicle access to the mountainous areas impeded, 11 helicopters were deployed to contain the fire. Fires also reignited in other parts of the province, including Euiseong, just south of Andong.
Regional officials called on firefighting helicopters, along with firefighters and other personnel, to bring the main body of the fires under control. By the afternoon, 55 helicopters and 5,500 personnel were actively engaged in the southeast region, including Euiseong, Andong, and Cheongsong, extinguishing live embers and monitoring for any remaining flames.
"As of now, there are no reignited wildfires in the North Gyeongsang region," a regional official stated, noting that it would take several days to completely extinguish remaining embers.
Firefighters also launched overnight operations at nearby Mount Jiri, where steep slopes and a lack of paths made access challenging for fire trucks and personnel. Despite these obstacles, nearly 1,000 firefighters and forestry officials, along with approximately 200 pieces of equipment, continued to work through the night to contain the fire.
The Korea Forest Service previously announced that wildfires in North Gyeongsang had been fully controlled as of 5 p.m. Friday, following a series of fires that killed or injured dozens and forced thousands to evacuate. Approximately 48,000 hectares of woodland, equivalent to about 80 percent of the size of Seoul, have been devastated in what is now the worst wildfire disaster in South Korean history.
Of the scorched land, nearly 13,000 hectares were in Euiseong and nearly 10,000 hectares were in Andong. The fires also resulted in the destruction of 2,996 houses and more than 1,000 agricultural facilities, according to an official estimate.
According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, the death toll from the fires reached 30 on Saturday, increasing by two from the previous day, with 45 injuries reported as of 8 p.m. It was noted that 6,885 people from 4,193 households remain unable to return home since evacuating.
The organization also reported that donations totaling approximately 55.4 billion won (US$37.7 million) have been collected through relief organizations to aid those affected.
Acting President Han Duck-soo announced that the government will provide "full administrative and financial support" for displaced individuals until they can return to normalcy. During a meeting in Seoul on the response to the wildfires, Han urged firefighting authorities to maintain vigilance over embers.
"It's more important than anything to ensure there won't be a recurrence of such tragedy," Han emphasized. "We need to take a comprehensive review of the government's response system and see if we're prepared for major wildfires amid rapid climate change."
The interior ministry has plans to allocate 230 million won to support relief efforts in North Gyeongsang.