Record-setting damages, recovery costs expected from North Gyeongsang wildfires

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Record-setting damages, recovery costs expected from North Gyeongsang wildfires

Published: 10 Apr. 2025, 13:33 Updated: 10 Apr. 2025, 20:32

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

The forests of Uiseong, North Gyeongsang, are seen devastated by wildfires on March 28. [KIM JONG-HO]

The massive wildfire that swept across five cities and counties in North Gyeongsang — Uiseong, Andong, Cheongsong, Yeongyang and Yeongdeok — for a week from March 22 is expected to result in record-breaking damages and restoration costs.

As of Thursday, preliminary damage reports submitted through the National Disaster Management System (NDMS) totaled 1.43 trillion won ($981 million), according to the North Gyeongsang provincial government. Of that figure, damage to private property accounted for 386.5 billion won, while public infrastructure damage reached 1.04 trillion won.

The estimated recovery cost is expected to climb to nearly 2.8 trillion won.

The provincial government explained that more than 70 percent of the damage and estimated recovery costs stemmed from forest areas.

The period for reporting private property damage has been extended by a week until next Tuesday to accommodate local conditions. Officials expect the total damage figure to rise further as reports continue to come in.

Based on the damage reports received by local governments, the central government will conduct a joint investigation to finalize the official damage and recovery cost assessments. The central investigation team, led by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, will include over 100 officials from 11 government agencies and private experts, along with about 80 officials from 22 departments in North Gyeongsang. Their work will continue through Tuesday.

Restaurants near Dalgi medicinal spring in Cheongsong, North Gyeongsang ares seen destroyed by wildfires on March 28. [KIM JUNG-SEOK]

The investigation will especially focus on damage to the forestry sector, including the region's pine mushroom-producing areas. Pine mushrooms are wild forest products, not cultivated crops, and are therefore ineligible for government recovery support, placing additional hardship on forestry households who rely on them for income.

In response, North Gyeongsang is conducting a separate damage survey for wild forest products like pine mushrooms and plans to request that the government include support for cultivating alternative short-term income forest products in the upcoming supplementary budget.

Once the central government’s investigation and recovery plans are finalized, restoration assistance will be provided for damaged facilities such as shiitake mushroom farms and replacing walnut, chestnut and jujube trees lost in the fire. Support will also include pest control measures such as spraying pesticides, based on the extent of damage.

A factory in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang, is seen devastated by wildfires on March 28. [KIM JONG-HO]

As of 11 p.m. Wednesday, 3,488 residents from 2,073 households remained displaced due to the wildfire. Of these, 3,097 people were staying in temporary accommodations such as hotels, training centers or village halls, 386 were in gymnasiums or shelters, and five were living in temporary prefabricated housing.

Donations for wildfire recovery have also reached record levels. As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, 120.54 billion won in donations had been collected, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters under the Interior Ministry.

“Given the unprecedented scale of the wildfire damage, we will work closely with the central disaster investigation team to ensure swift recovery and support efforts and to develop restoration plans that improve upon conditions before the disaster,” said Park Sung-soo, director of safety and administration at the North Gyeongsang provincial government.