How strong wind, pine trees and dry ground nourish the flame

Strong winds, dense forest and unusually dry weather – this is the deadly combination that experts say it nourishes the largest fires in the history of South Korea.

Inferno in the southeast has burned over 35 810 hectares (88,500 acres) to Thursday – this is about half of the size of New York – killing 27 people so far and displacing tens of thousands.

Authorities believe wild fires have started accidentally from human activity, but the main drivers of devastation are dry land and strong gusts that flow to the internal areas.

The high concentration of pine forest in the province of North Gionsang, where fires burn, also “downplay” the flame, said a forest disaster expert.

“Pine trees contain a resin that acts as oil, boosting fires when they ignite. This resin causes wild fires to burn faster, stronger and longer,” says Lee Bung-do of the National Institute of Forest Sciences in Seoul.

Andong, one of the worst affected cities, is known for its calm pine forests.

As they provide shelter and food for the local wildlife and sometimes help to destroy the wind, pine trees “become problematic during wild fires,” G -Lee told the BBC.

“Because the forests (in South Korea) contain a large number of pine trees, the areas are particularly vulnerable when fires break out,” he said.

In addition, pine trees retain their needles in the winter, which makes them susceptible to “crown fires” – fires that spread by igniting the dense canopy of branches and leaves. This has contributed to the rapid and widespread flames in the last week.

Unlike neighboring countries such as China and North Korea, South Korea has made profits in forest coverage in recent years.

“Most mountains are already filled with fallen leaves and pine trees … This accumulation has become an important factor in accelerating the spread of wild fire,” says Baek Min-ho, a disaster prevention specialist at the National University of Canngoon.

Climate change is also guilty, experts say.

“This fire again exposed the harsh reality of the climate crisis, unlike anything we have experienced before,” South Korea’s disaster said on Thursday.

The ideal environment for these record flames has been built in the last few weeks, in which temperatures rise above 20C (68F), unusually high for spring. The Climate Central analysis, which explores climate science, suggests that these high temperatures are made up to five times more likely than global warming.

Unusual heat dries the land and air, allowing fires to spread faster, especially when combined with strong winds.

The dense cover of the trees and the strong winds in the fire affected also represent significant challenges to the efforts of the fire.

On Wednesday, a 73-year-old pilot died when his fire helicopter crashed in Usseng County. At least three other firefighters were killed in the flames.

Most of the 26 people killed are on the 60s and 70s, employees say. South Korea is an aging society where every five people are at least 65 years old.

North Gyeongsang is its second oldest province, which also explains relatively high mortality – it is especially difficult to evacuate the elderly in the disaster as they can have problems with mobility or other health risks.

They may also have more difficulties with access or interpretation of evacuation orders.

Three residents of the elderly care facility in Yondeoc County died on Wednesday when the car they were in were on fire. Only one in four in the vehicle managed to escape on time, Korea Jungang reports every day.

The position of President Han Duck-SU said on Thursday that it was “disturbing” that many victims were adults, as he ordered the Minister of the Interior to move to North Gionsang to monitor efforts to help.

A resident of Andong, who evacuated but lost her home, told the BBC that her family and their neighbors had been caught by the fires.

“No one in the village is prepared,” said the woman who wanted not to be baptized.

“We had to leave with nothing and all our belongings are gone. Many of the residents are adults, so I hope the government will provide temporary shelters where people can stay comfortable,” she said.

Historical relics are also burned to the ground up – a significant loss for an area considered one of the cultural centers of South Korea.

These include treasures in two temples, each aged 1000 years. One of them, the Guna Temple, dates back to the Power Dynasty (57BC to 935AD).

Additional reporting by Rachel Lee and Jake Konn in Seoul