South Korea burns: 27 deaths in devastating forest fires!

South Korea burns: 27 deaths in devastating forest fires!

Südkorea, Land - On March 27, 2025, South Korea will be hit in history by its worst forest fires. Up to this point, the devastating fires cost 27 people, including numerous older people as well as three firefighters and a helicopter pilot. According to the civil protection authority, dozens of other people have been violated, and about 37,000 people had to leave their houses.

The fire devastated an area of more than 35,800 hectares of land in South Korea, which is the highest number of fatalities since the documentation began in 1987. Lee Han Kyung, the head of the civil protection authority, reports that the burned area is higher than in the most devastating fires in 2000. To extinguish the fires, over 1,000 firefighters and several hundred soldiers are in use, supported by helicopters of the US army.

destruction of historical sites

The destruction of several historical sites is particularly tragic. A temple over 1,000 years old was completely burned down, while UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Hahoe and Byeongsan Seowon are threatened. Firefighters inject three tons of water every day to the endangered historic buildings to protect them from the flames.

experts refer to climate change as one of the main reasons for the intensity of these fires. The climate scientist Yeh sang Wook and Professor Hong Suk Hwan that the past year with an average temperature of 14.5 degrees Celsius was the hottest since the start of the recordings-two degrees above the 30th anniversary. In addition, the rainy amounts in the current season are only about half as high as usual, which further tightens the situation.

global perspective and future effects

In a global context, the increase in forest fires due to climate change becomes increasingly clear. According to the interactive ESA World Fire Atlas , the fire season has extended by two weeks since 1979. Studies show that higher temperatures and more frequent extreme weather events represent a significant risk of forest and bush fires. This has also led to large area losses in other countries, such as Greece and Italy.

The situation is alarming: Canada is currently experiencing the worst forest fire season in its history, where over 10 million hectares of land are already burned. By July 29, 2023, more than 234,516 hectares of land have been burned in the EU, which underlines the need to seriously look at the causes and consequences of the global forest fires.

This disaster in South Korea requires quick and effective action in order not only to counter the current fires, but also to minimize future risks through climate change.

Here you will learn more about the effects of the fires: Vol.at and Spiegel.de .