REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

The wildfires in North Gyeongsang province began in Uiseong county before spreading 70 km (44 miles) east, to devastate an area equivalent to about two-thirds of the island of Singapore and much larger than the Los Angeles fires in January. “Strong, dry winds blew from the west. The wind had the biggest impact,” said Lim Sang-seop, the minister of the Korea Forest Service, adding that smoke and fog reduced visibility this week, presenting a bigger challenge to helicopters seeking to douse the flames. Experts have said the spread of the Uiseong fire was extremely unusual in terms of scale and speed, while climate change is expected to make wildfires more frequent and deadly globally.