A Sikorsky S-76 helicopter crashed in Uiseong County, located in the southeastern part of South Korea, while fighting large forest fires. This was reported by the Yonhap news agency, citing data from local authorities. The accident occurred on the morning of March 26, 2025, when the machine was on a mission to localize the fire that had engulfed vast areas of the region. Only the pilot was on board, who, unfortunately, died as a result of the crash. The helicopter, as specified, was rented from a private company to concentrate efforts to combat the natural disaster.

The tragedy occurred amid unprecedented forest fires that have already claimed the lives of at least 18 people. Authorities had previously reported 15 victims, but updated figures indicate that the death toll has risen. Acting President and Prime Minister Han Deok-soo called the fires the most destructive in South Korean history. In a statement, he stressed that the scale of the disaster required maximum mobilization of forces. According to the prime minister, significant resources have been deployed to extinguish the fire: 128 helicopters, over 1100 military personnel, about 3100 firefighters and about 4600 government employees. “We must throw all our forces into fighting the fire by the end of the week to minimize the unprecedented damage,” Han Deok-soo said, calling for coordination of efforts at all levels.

The fires, which started over the weekend, have spread rapidly due to strong winds and dry weather, complicating the work of rescue services. Authorities have already evacuated thousands of residents from the disaster area, and a state of emergency has been declared in the region. Uiseong County, where the accident occurred, remains one of the epicenters of the fires: more than 7700 hectares of forest have already burned there, according to the Korea Forest Service. The helicopter crash was an additional blow to firefighting crews, depriving them of a key tool for extinguishing the fire from the air.

According to Reuters, by the morning of March 26, fires in the southeastern provinces had claimed the lives of 18 people, including four local residents whose car overturned during an evacuation attempt. The operation involves not only local forces, but also military units, as well as dozens of aircraft. Experts from the National Institute of Forest Research note that the speed of fire spread has reached "unimaginable proportions", which is facilitated by winds of up to 20 meters per second and abnormally high temperatures for March, exceeding 25 degrees Celsius.