Simultaneous wildfires raged across the Gyeongsang region for ten consecutive days, engulfing the area in flames and impacting 26 Seventh-day Adventist households from eight local churches in the Southeast Korea Conference (SEKC).
The fires destroyed 19 homes and burned down 12 storage buildings. They also rendered 18 pieces of farming equipment unusable, including tractors and cultivators. Flames consumed approximately 17,500 square meters of farmland previously used to grow apples, peaches, and other crops.
The fires burned about 140 trees, including ornamental and fruit varieties, and damaged two livestock sheds. Fortunately, the disaster resulted in no casualties. These statistics came from a report titled “Damage Status of Adventist Church Members in SEKC Area,” which the SEKC Health Department released at 9 p.m. on March 31, 2025. Although firefighters have extinguished the blazes, officials still struggle to assess the full extent of the property damage.
Jang DaeGi, director of the SEKC Health Department, emphasized that damage reports continue to come in and that further updates are likely. He called on churches and members nationwide to show their concern and offer support. “With the help of Sahmyook Foods, we’re donating 15 tons of soy milk to local government offices on behalf of the affected Adventist churches to support wildfire victims, firefighters, and volunteers,” he said. “We’re also planning to launch joint volunteer efforts in each affected region in partnership with the Women’s Association.”
Officials expressed concern over the enormous scale of destruction. “The affected area is so vast and the damage so severe that we can’t yet predict how many resources and how much relief work will be needed,” they said. “We sincerely urge churches and members to pray and lend a helping hand so that those who have lost their homes and livelihoods can return to normal life as soon as possible.”
The massive wildfire, which broke out on March 21, 2025, in Sancheong, South Gyeongsang Province, burned for ten days before authorities fully extinguished it. According to the government, the fire scorched an estimated 48,000 hectares—making it the largest wildfire in Korea’s history. The blaze claimed 30 lives and left 75 people injured. It destroyed approximately 3,000 homes, damaged 30 national heritage sites, and impacted over 2,000 agricultural facilities.