2 firefighters die in South Korea as dry winds fuel dozens of wildfires

Firefighters extinguish a fire at a factory building that has been engulfed in a wildfire in Uiseong, South Korea, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (Yoon Gwan-shick/Yonhap via AP)

SEOUL, South Korea — At least two firefighters died and hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes in South Korea on Saturday as emergency workers struggled to contain more than 30 wildfires fueled by dry winds.

The largest fires were in southeastern regions, including the rural county of Sancheong, where 260 people fled to a temporary shelter as flames spread across the surrounding hills, according to the South Gyeongsang provincial government.

Two firefighters were found dead, while another firefighter and a government worker remain missing after being trapped by fast-moving flames driven by strong winds in the area. Rescuers pulled out five emergency workers, who are now receiving treatment for their injuries, the provincial government said.

The Korea Forest Service said the Sancheong wildfire had burned over 500 hectares (1,200 acres) as of Saturday evening. Nearly 1,600 emergency workers, 35 helicopters and dozens of vehicles were deployed, but only 35 per cent of the blaze was contained due to the area’s mountainous terrain and strong winds.

More than 400 people evacuated their homes in the county of Uiseong in North Gyeongsang province as firefighters continued to fight a blaze that so far burned 300 hectares (740 acres), according to the forest service, while dozens of residents also fled their homes in the city of Gimhae. The fires also forced the closures of several highway sections in the country’s southeast, including one connecting Ulsan and Busan, South Korea’s second largest city.

The national government designated the North and South Gyeongsang provinces and the southeastern city of Ulsan as disaster zones, and the country’s acting president, Choi Sang-mok, vowed an all-out response to extinguish the flames.

Wildfires were also reported in central Chungcheong and southwestern Jeolla provinces.

Kim Tong-hyung, The Associated Press