South Korea firefighters deploy helicopters as wildfires reignite

SEOUL - South Korean firefighters deployed helicopters on March 29 as the country’s biggest wildfires on record that ravaged wide areas of its south-east reignited in one of the region’s cities, an official said.

More than a dozen fires have been fanned by high winds and dry conditions, killing 30 people and injuring dozens more in south-eastern regions, an interior ministry official said on March 29.

Fires were whipped up again early March 29 in Andong, a city in the worst-hit North Gyeongsang province, forcing authorities to deploy eight helicopters to the area, an official from the Korea Forest Service told AFP.

It came a day after the main fire in the province, where 25 of the 29 victims have died, was extinguished.

“It seems that the remaining embers have flared up a bit,” said the official.

“We plan to deploy more helicopters to the area in Andong.”

The fires there began on March 22 and rolled on for days.

More than 2,900 homes in the region have been completely destroyed, according to the latest figures.

An official said this week that more than 35,000ha of forest have been burned.

The fire also destroyed several historic sites,including the Gounsa temple complex in the south-eastern city of Uiseong, which is believed to have been originally built in the 7th century.

The extent of the damage makes it South Korea’s largest-ever wildfire.

Later on March 29, an official from the North Gyeongsang provincial government said helicopters were still being deployed in Andong areas to extinguish mostly small flames and smoke.

“Given the size of the area, it may take some time to complete all operations and fully extinguish the fires,” Mr Do Gyu-myeong told AFP.

Most of the victims in the region were elderly, according to the Korea Forest Service.