Nearly 1,000 wildfire responders — mostly part-time and with an average age of 59 — form the backbone of South Korea’s seasonal firefighting force
As fast-moving wildfires sweep across southeastern South Korea, attention is turning not only to the scale of the devastation but also to the country’s reliance on an aging, largely part-time wildfire response workforce — many of whom are senior citizens.
On Tuesday, two wildfire responders — both in their 70s — were injured while trying to contain a blaze in North Jeolla Province, in the country’s southwest. One fell on rocky terrain, and the other slipped down a steep slope. That fire, which began near a campground, burned nearly a hectare of forest before being brought under control.
The incident follows a deadly blaze in Sancheong County, South Gyeongsang Province, over the weekend that claimed the lives of four responders, three of which were in their 60s.
The three were part-time wildfire responders hired by local authorities, while the fourth victim was a 30-something government official who had been supervising them. The group had been clearing embers when a sudden backdraft trapped them in the mountains.
Five others were injured, and two of the responders who died were initially reported missing before their bodies were recovered. It was the deadliest wildfire-related accident in South Korea in nearly 30 years.
Since March 14, more than 14,000 hectares of forest have burned nationwide, with over 30 wildfires breaking out on March 22 alone.
The southeastern Yeongnam region — particularly North and South Gyeongsang provinces — has been hit hardest. Early spring’s dry, windy weather has made these mountainous areas especially vulnerable. The government has issued its highest-level wildfire alert and designated multiple disaster zones.
As calls grow for measures to address wildfire risks, the latest casualties have brought attention to the country’s frontline response system. In many wildfire-prone municipalities, the average age of wildfire responders is nearly 60.
According to 2023 data, 906 wildfire responders were employed across 18 municipalities, with an average age of 59. The oldest was over 74. Today, that figure stands at roughly 970 in the affected areas, and the vast majority remain senior citizens. Most are not full-time professionals but rather seasonal, part-time workers recruited by local governments to supplement permanent emergency services during wildfire season.
Wildfire responder casualties during wildfire responses have been a painful reality in South Korea. According to the Korea Forest Service, 15 responders have died in wildfire-related incidents since 2010, not including National Fire Agency personnel. Many were older part-time workers.
In 2023, a firefighter in his 60s died of exhaustion while carrying equipment uphill during a blaze in Hadong County — a forested, mountainous area near the southern coast in South Gyeongsang Province.
mjh@heraldcorp.com
