A huge wildfire in South Korea may have started with a simple act of respect.
A 56-year-old man visited his grandparents’ graves on March 22, 2023.
He cleaned the area and burned some twigs.
Now, police think this might have sparked the country’s biggest wildfire ever.
At least 30 people have died.
The man is from the Ulleung district in North Gyeongsang province.
This area was hit the hardest by the fire.
Police say they’re just investigating him for now.
They haven’t arrested him yet.
They’ll question him after they finish checking the grave site, which might take over a month.
The man says he didn’t do anything wrong.
How it happened
Police won’t reveal the man’s name.
But according to the Yonhap news agency, the man’s daughter told officers that her dad tried to burn some twigs hanging over the grave.
A spark might have flown away and started the fire.
Damage and aftermath
The fire spread fast, fueled by strong winds.
It started many smaller fires, burning over 48,000 hectares of land.
That’s about 80% of the size of Seoul, the capital city.
More than 4,000 buildings were destroyed, including homes, factories, and national treasures.
One of the destroyed buildings was the historic Wanwoljeong temple, built in 618 AD.
It was even recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
Even though the main fire is under control, officials warn that smaller fires could still start.
The dry weather and many flammable trees make it a dangerous situation.
Source: the guardian