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.
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