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Three South Gyeongsang officials referred to prosecutors for negligence in wildfire response

Published: 11 Feb. 2026, 14:03 Updated: 11 Feb. 2026, 18:13

A wildfire suppression helicopter conducts firefighting operations over Mount Gugok in Sancheong County, South Gyeongsang, on March 28, 2025. [NEWS1]

Police have referred three South Gyeongsang provincial government officials without detention to prosecutors on charges of occupational negligence in connection with a wildfire in Sancheong County, South Gyeongsang, authorities said Wednesday. The fire, which occurred in March last year, killed four people and injured five others.

Authorities forwarded the three officials, including a supervisor, a team leader and a working-level official, who served in the ground firefighting unit under South Gyeongsang's integrated wildfire response headquarters, the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency said.

Police also booked another working-level official and investigated them, but did not forward the case after determining that they had only provided administrative support shortly before the accident rather than directing field operations.

Investigators allege that the three suspects deployed Changnyeong County officials and wildfire fighters to a mountainside in Sancheong County without conducting safety training or inspecting equipment. During the operation, flames trapped the crews midway up the mountain, killing four people and injuring five others.

Police determined that the suspects could foresee the risk of the wildfire spreading based on weather forecasts indicating strong winds. Despite that information, they pushed ahead with the deployment without taking sufficient safety measures.

Under the South Gyeongsang government's operational manual for its integrated wildfire response headquarters, safety managers must prohibit the deployment of firefighting crews to dangerous areas, as well as confirm the establishment of a stable communication network, the completion of safety training and the availability of protective equipment.

After the accident, police launched an investigation and questioned injured individuals, wildfire fighters from other regions and other related personnel.

Investigators also analyzed wildfire response records and reconstructed the sequence of events. Based on the findings, police concluded that the suspects failed to carry out required safety measures, including safety training, and therefore bore criminal responsibility.

“The suspects could foresee the risk of the wildfire spreading, but still deployed firefighters to prohibited dangerous areas, so we concluded they bear criminal responsibility,” a police official said.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PARK JONG-SUH [[email protected]]