SEOUL, March 31 (UPI) -- South Korean firefighters were able to fully contain the wildfires that have ravaged the southeastern part of the country and left 30 dead, officials said, while authorities began a joint investigation into the cause of the blaze Monday.
The fires, which broke out on Mar. 21 in Sancheong County and spread to several neighboring areas, burned almost 120,000 acres of land and damaged or destroyed more than 3,400 homes and 2,100 agricultural facilities, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters.
Some 30 cultural heritage sites were also damaged, including the 1,300-year-old Gounsa Temple in Uiseong, a major Buddhist landmark.
The fires raged for more than a week, fueled by dry and windy conditions, before they were fully contained on Sunday afternoon, acting Interior Minister Ko Ki-dong announced at a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.
"The wildfires are estimated to have caused the greatest loss of lives and property in our history," Ko said.
On Monday, a joint forensic probe by police, fire and forestry investigators began to investigate the cause of the fire, news agency Yonhap reported, with the focus on a 56-year-old man who is suspected of accidentally starting the blaze while tending to a family tomb site.
The Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency said Monday they plan to interview the suspect. According to some local media reports, he was using a lighter to burn branches over the graves.
Acting President Han Duck-soo on Saturday said the government "will spare no effort in providing administrative and financial support to the victims until they restore their normal lives."
During a meeting in Seoul, Han also called for a review of the country's wildfire response system to help prevent future disasters, particularly in light of the impact of climate change.
"The most important thing is to prevent such tragedies from happening again," Han said. "In particular, it is necessary to check the overall system to see if the government's response system is sufficiently prepared for large-scale forest fires due to the rapidly changing climate."