이미지 확대
The 56-year-old man is accused of sparking the blaze around noon on March 22 during an ancestral rite at his family grave in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang Province.
The flames then rapidly spread to nearby areas including Andong, Cheongsong, Yeongyang, and Yeongdeok, fueled by strong winds and dry weather amid unseasonal early-summer heat.
According to police sources, the suspect has denied all allegations.
Meanwhile, firefighters have managed to douse the fires in most parts of the southern regions including Gyeongsang provinces and some areas of Chungcheong and Jeolla provinces. But they are still struggling to fully contain the blazes as lingering flames and embers continue to reignite.
The country's worst-ever wildfires have decimated around 48,000 hectares of land and forests for over a week, killing 30 people and injuring 45 as of Sunday.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.
View more comments