South Korea hopes to use break in weather to contain deadly wildfires

ANDONG, South Korea – Light rain offered some relief to South Korean authorities tackling the country’s worst wildfires on record, with exhausted firefighters making another push on March 28 to contain blazes stretching 70km.

At least 28 people have died and more than 45,000ha of largely forest land in the south-east have been charred or are burning, as strong winds have driven blazes from central Uiseong county to coastal regions over the past week.

“Conditions are very good, and we have a chance, so we’re deploying all available resources to try to contain the main fires today,” Korea Forest Service Minister Lim Sang-seop told a media briefing.

Uiseong reported that fires had been put out in 95 per cent of the area as of early March 28. Flames in 85 per cent of neighbouring Andong city, which is home to Unesco World Heritage sites, have been doused, according to the Korea Forest Service.

Yeongdeok county on the east coast, where the fire spread from the initial blaze more than 70km away in under 12 hours, was still fighting to contain the flames, with nearly a third of the area still ablaze.

Light rain of less than 3mm fell in some parts of the regions on March 27 and offered “a little help”, forest service spokesman Kim Jong-gun said.

Firefighters and helicopters were taking advantage of more favourable weather and better visibility to make a push for more progress before winds were expected to pick up later on March 28, he said.

The blazes that began in Uiseong have become the biggest single forest fire in South Korea’s history, destroying an area equivalent to about two-thirds of Singapore.

More than 80 helicopters started flying at daybreak on March 28 to dump water, the safety ministry said. South Korea relies on