Hundreds evacuated as S.Korea wildfires spread

Acting PM vows all-out efforts to contain wildfires; more than 3,/0O0 firefighters, along with 76 helicopters and 530 vehicles, deployed to battle the fires in Uiseong and Andong areas

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Officials in the South Korean city of Andong on Tuesday alerted residents to evacuate to safe areas as firefighters struggled to contain wildfires that have ravaged southern regions since last week, forcing thousands to flee and destroying likely hundreds of structures, including a 1,300-year-old Buddhist temple.

Authorities designated the affected counties "special disaster zones."

The Ministry of Justice said it has begun transferring about 2,600 inmates from four prisons in Cheongsong County due to the wildfires.

At least four people have been killed and hundreds forced to flee their homes since blazes broke out in several areas on Saturday, stoked by strong winds and dry weather.

One woman was found dead on Tuesday, local media reported, with police saying they suspected the death was related to the wildfires.

Thousands of firefighters in South Korea were battling at least nine wildfires across the country as of Tuesday afternoon, after the blazes fueled by dry winds burned more than 36,300 acres of land in the past five days.