South Korea wildfires: Elderly frontline responders risk their lives for US$50 a day firefighting

A lethal combination of an ageing population and over-reliance on temporary workers has left elderly South Koreans disproportionately exposed to the country’s worst wildfires in recent memory — both as victims and as frontline responders.

Authorities say most of the 28 people killed in the recent fires in North Gyeongsang province were older residents. The final tally of casualties is still being confirmed, but among the dead were three firefighters in their 60s and a 73-year-old helicopter pilot. On Thursday, a 68-year-old seasonal wildfire monitor was found dead, reportedly caught in the flames as he tried to return home after days of battling the blaze.

Three nursing home residents in their 80s died when their evacuation vehicle exploded, while others perished in their homes or while attempting to flee on foot, according to local reports.

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A greying frontline

South Korea’s rural areas are ageing fast, and many towns have few younger residents left to staff seasonal firefighting teams. Of the country’s 9,472 temporary wildfire monitors, more than 73 per cent are over the age of 60, according to the Korea Forest Service. There is no age limit for the position, which pays around $50 a day and is active during high-risk fire seasons.

“Come and look around here,” said Kang Won-gok, a local official in Yeongdeok county, where one elderly monitor died. “There’s barely any young people in this rural town. And even if there were, who would want to do this low-paying, temporary job?”

Of the town’s 11 wildfire workers, 10 are over 60.

The fires that broke out in Uiseong county before sweeping 70km eastward destroyed an area roughly two-thirds the size of Singapore — significantly larger than the wildfires that hit Los Angeles in January.

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During major fires, the Korea Forest Service’s temporary workers are joined by military and professional firefighting teams, but they often form the first line of response.

As of Friday, 2,105 of the 5,587 personnel fighting the North Gyeongsang wildfires were forest service staff and local contract workers, highlighting just how reliant the country remains on a vulnerable and ageing volunteer force.

A call for structural reform

The disaster has prompted renewed calls for urgent reform. Lee Cheol-woo, governor of North Gyeongsang province, has demanded a complete overhaul of wildfire policy. After meeting with Acting President Han Duck-soo on Friday, Lee said the country must prepare more seriously for the growing threat of fires driven by climate change.

Han agreed, pledging to look into “comprehensive reform of wildfire measures to prepare for climate change.”

Experts say the disaster has exposed long-standing weaknesses in South Korea’s emergency response system, from ageing equipment to a chronic lack of investment in full-time staff. “A new structure is needed to bring in more people, more young people to work on wildfires and more regular staff for better preparations,” said Lee Chang Woo, a fire and disaster management professor at Korea Soongsil Cyber University.

“But that would require a higher budget, and the government needs to earn public understanding for that,” he added.

With inputs from Reuters