Analysis of Cultural Heritage Damage and Influencing Factors Caused by the 2025 Wildfires in the Gyeongbuk Region

Wildfires are growing larger in scale, driven by the increasing frequency of dry days and occurrences of high-temperature weather conditions associated with climate change. Concurrently, the risk of damage to cultural heritage sites located in areas adjacent to forests is increasing. This study quantitatively analyzed the relationship between damage grades and the surrounding topographic and fuel factors for 26 designated cultural heritage sites damaged by a large-scale wildfire that started in Uiseong, Gyeongsangbuk-do, in March 2025 and spread across the Ulsan, Gyeongbuk, and Gyeongnam regions. The damage to the cultural heritage sites was classified into three grades; 19 sites (73.1% of the total) were classified as Grade 1, indicating severe wildfire damage. Topographic and fuel variables were extracted from within a 100 m radius of the damaged sites, and a Spearman correlation analysis was performed. The results indicate that slope, elevation, and tree species were significantly correlated with damage grade. These findings can serve as baseline data for preliminary assessment of wildfire risk to cultural heritage sites and selection of priority management targets by considering the site location and surrounding forest characteristics. They also provide insights for developing preventive management policies.