Two killed in S. Korea wildfire, hundreds told to evacuate

SEOUL: At least two firefighters have been killed in a wildfire in South Korea and more than 200 residents in 15 southern villages have been told to evacuate, authorities said on Saturday.

The fire, which began in Sancheong county on Friday afternoon, prompted the deployment of 304 personnel, along with 20 helicopters, according to South Korea’s Interior Ministry.

On Saturday, “two firefighters have been found dead, while two individuals are remaining missing”, a fire agency official told AFP.

It was not immediately clear if the two missing people were also firefighters.

Wildfires also hit several other areas in central and southern provinces, the Korea Forest Service said.

The forest agency has issued “severe” fire warnings, its highest level, in 12 locations, including North and South Gyeongsang provinces, Busan and Daejeon.

Sancheong in South Gyeongsang province is about 250 kilometres (155 miles) southeast of Seoul.

South Korea’s acting president Choi Sang-mok told relevant agencies to “mobilise all available equipment and personnel to quickly extinguish” the fire, his office said.

Some types of extreme weather have a well-established link with climate change, such as heatwaves or heavy rainfall.

Other phenomena such as forest fires, droughts, snowstorms and tropical storms can result from a combination of complex factors.