Firefighters in southeastern South Korea benefited from recent overnight rains and cooler temperatures in their battle against severe wildfires, which have resulted in 28 deaths and displaced over 37,000 residents. These wildfires are reportedly the worst in the region's recorded history, consuming 45,000 hectares of land and threatening historical sites. Despite their efforts, firefighting leaders called for strategic changes due to the rapid spread of fires, which experts attribute to climate change. As of early Friday, significant progress has been made in containing the fires, with most areas reporting containment.
"Hazes have been diminished because of the rain last night, so that's favorable for securing visibility. Also, temperatures are now lower than the last few days, so things are very favorable to put out the wildfires," Korea Forest Service Minister Lim Sang-seop said.
"We are nationally in a critical situation with numerous casualties because of the unprecedented rapid spread of forest fires," acting President Han Duck-soo told a government response meeting.
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