Huge South Korea wildfires kill 27 and torch ancient temples
‘No request yet for help’ — Australiapublished at 08:51 Greenwich Mean Timepublished at 01:51
Simon Atkinson
Australia producer, BBC News
Australia is no stranger to wildfires – or “bushfires” as they call them here – and its rural firefighters, made up largely of volunteers, have honed their skills over summer-after-summer of blazes.
The country is often called on to help others going through fire disasters by sending expertise, firefighters and equipment. Perhaps most notably, the New South Wales Rural Fire Service’s Large Air Tanker aircraft is regularly sent to help during the US wildfire season.
Image source, Getty ImagesSouth Korea has not reached out to Australia for help fighting off the wildfires
So far, though, there has been no request for assistance from South Korea, a spokesperson for Australia’s National Emergency Management Agency told the BBC.
During Australia’s 2019-2020 Black Summer fires, which killed 33 people, South Korea was one of several countries to provide support – including US$1m in aid through the Red Cross, help with satellite imagery and a delegation to offer support for the country’s recovery.