Man tending to graves responsible for South Korea wildfires

authorities say situation has been contained

A man tending to the graves of his grandparents is suspected to be responsible for the wildfires in South Korea which broke out on March 21, 2025.

This is according to reports from CNN.

The reports also reveal that South Korean firefighters were able to fully contain the wildfires

Officials say the fire which has ravaged the southeastern part of the country, left 30 dead, while authorities began a joint investigation into the cause of the blaze Monday.

The fires, which broke out on Mar. 21 in Sancheong County and spread to several neighboring areas, burned almost 120,000 acres of land.

It also damaged or destroyed more than 3,400 homes and 2,100 agricultural facilities.

This is as disclosed by the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters.

Some 30 cultural heritage sites were also damaged, including the 1,300-year-old Gounsa Temple in Uiseong, a major Buddhist landmark.

The fires raged for more than a week, fueled by dry and windy conditions, before they were fully contained on Sunday afternoon.

Acting Interior Minister Ko Ki-dong announced this at a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.

“The wildfires are estimated to have caused the greatest loss of lives and property in our history,” Ko said.

On Monday, a joint forensic probe by police, fire and forestry investigators began to investigate the cause of the fire, news agency Yonhap reported.

The focus was on a 56-year-old man who is suspected of accidentally starting the blaze while tending to a family tomb site.

The Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency said Monday they plan to interview the suspect.

According to some local media reports, he was using a lighter to burn branches over the graves.

Acting President Han Duck-soo on Saturday said:

“will spare no effort in providing administrative and financial support to the victims until they restore their normal lives.”

During a meeting in Seoul, Han also called for a review of the country’s wildfire response system to help prevent future disasters.

The call came particularly in light of the impact of climate change.

“The most important thing is to prevent such tragedies from happening again,” Han said.

“In particular, it is necessary to check the overall system to see if the government’s response system is sufficiently prepared for large-scale forest fires due to the rapidly changing climate.”

The devastating Uiseong wildfire that killed 26 people and destroyed thousands of structures.

The 56-year-old man allegedly burned branches at the grave site using a cigarette lighter, which sparked the massive blaze.

The fire quickly spread to four counties, fueled by high winds and dry conditions.

The suspect has denied responsibility, but police have collected evidence, including a lighter, and plan to summon him for further questioning.

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