Why are the South Korean wildfires so devastating?
South Korea is burning in the worst wildfire in history. As of Thursday, the fire had burned 88,500 acres in the southeastern part of the country. This is about half the size of New York City in the United States. So far, 27 people have died in the fire. Thousands of people have fled the area.
South Korean authorities and experts say that the fire was started by a man-made accident. However, there are several reasons behind the spread of the fire over a large area. They are strong winds and dry weather. In addition, the dense forest of pine trees in the northern province of Gyeongsang has helped the fire spread widely. Lee Byung-do, an expert at the National Institute of Forest Science in South Korea, said that pine trees contain a type of substance called resin. Resin acts like fuel oil. It intensifies the fire. Due to this, the fire spreads faster, becomes stronger and burns for a long time.
The fire has become the most terrible in the city of Andong. There is a pine forest there. The forests serve as shelter for local wildlife and provide food. They also help slow down the wind. But they can be a problem during wildfires, said Lee Byung-do. Pine trees also don’t shed their leaves in winter, making it more likely that the fire will spread from one tree to another. The evergreen nature of pine trees has played a major role in the speed and intensity with which the fires have spread in South Korea over the past week.
South Korea has seen more forest cover in recent years than its neighbors China and North Korea. Baek Min-ho, a disaster prevention expert at Gwangju National University, said that most of the mountains are now covered in fallen leaves and pine trees. These leaves and pine trees are a significant factor in the rapid spread of the fires. Experts also blame climate change for the spread of the fires. Lee Han-kyung, head of South Korea’s Disaster and Security Agency, said on Thursday, “This wildfire has once again brought to our attention the harsh reality of climate change. We have never experienced anything like this before.’
The conditions for this year’s wildfires had been building for weeks. Temperatures have risen above 20 degrees Celsius, unusually high for spring in South Korea. The high temperatures have dried out the soil and air, which has been fueled by strong winds. Firefighters are also facing challenges in battling the blaze due to the dense forest. A 73-year-old pilot was killed when a firefighter helicopter crashed in the Wuseong area on Wednesday. At least three firefighters have died while battling the blaze.
Most of those who died in the fire were in their 60s and 70s. One in five South Koreans is at least 65 years old. North Gyeongsang Province, where the fires are raging, has a large elderly population. It has the second-highest elderly population in the country. It is difficult to evacuate the elderly safely in times of disaster.
South Korea’s acting President Han Dak-soo has expressed concern over the deaths of elderly people in the wildfires. On Thursday, he ordered the interior minister to travel to the northern province of Gyeongsang to oversee relief efforts.
