[Exclusive] At Least 480,000 to 700,000 Tons of CO2 Emitted Due to Wildfires... Carbon Reduction Setback Amid Millions of Tons of Greenhouse Gases

Record-breaking Wildfires Scattered Carbon Dioxide into the Atmosphere
'Black Carbon,' 1,500 Times More Potent than Carbon Dioxide, Detected
Government: "Calculations Consider Burned Area and Fire Intensity"

At around 9:21 PM on the 26th, a fire broke out at a house in Bunam-myeon, Muju-gun, Jeonbuk, spreading to the mountain and sending smoke billowing. Photo by Yonhap News

It has been revealed that at least 480,000 to 700,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) were emitted due to the wildfires that occurred last month in the Yeongnam region. Considering wildfires in other areas and the methane emitted along with carbon dioxide, the total greenhouse gas emissions from the Yeongnam wildfires are estimated to be in the millions of tons. Since greenhouse gas emissions from wildfires have started to be included in official statistics, this is expected to disrupt national carbon reduction policies.

Record-breaking wildfires scattered carbon dioxide into the atmosphere

On the 1st, Asia Economy confirmed through the Global Wildfire Information System (GWIS) operated by the European Union (EU) that between March 21 and 31, at least 485,600 to 691,700 tons of carbon dioxide were emitted in the Gyeongbuk and Gyeongnam areas.

Copernicus is an Earth observation program provided by EU member states, the European Space Agency, and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites. One of its functions is GWIS, which monitors global wildfire status in real time. It also allows checking how much carbon dioxide, methane, carbon monoxide, and other substances were emitted from fires in specific areas.

Looking at the Yeongnam region through GWIS, there were 36 zones where more than 9,000 tons of carbon dioxide were emitted over the 11 days of the wildfire. There were 24 zones emitting between 3,500 and 9,000 tons, 23 zones between 2,000 and 3,500 tons, 27 zones between 800 and 2,000 tons, 18 zones between 400 and 800 tons, and 7 zones emitting less than 400 tons. Especially on March 25 (175,000 to 229,800 tons) and 26 (85,600 to 137,000 tons), when the wildfire spread massively with strong winds, large amounts of carbon were released.

The actual carbon emissions are believed to be much higher than the minimum estimates because emissions above 9,000 tons are not separately categorized. Nationwide in Korea, carbon emissions from wildfires between March 18 and 25 totaled 2,169,730 tons. This is about 12 times the cumulative emissions of 175,450 tons from January 1 to March 18. Assuming a significant portion of the 2.16 million tons is due to the Yeongnam wildfires, carbon dioxide emissions could exceed 1 million tons.

'Black carbon' detected, which is 1,500 times more potent than carbon dioxide

This wildfire also negatively impacts national greenhouse gas reduction efforts. Since 2023, the Ministry of Environment has included greenhouse gases from wildfires in national statistics. Previously, wildfires were considered a 'natural factor' and emissions were not measured. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines also excluded wildfires from accounting as they are beyond human control. However, as climate change increases wildfire risks, there has been growing international demand to reflect wildfire impacts. Korea officially began including wildfire emissions in national totals following the March 2022 Uljin and Samcheok wildfires.

Greenhouse gases are calculated by converting not only carbon dioxide but also other substances, making the scale larger. When wildfires occur, various air pollutants such as carbon monoxide are emitted along with carbon dioxide. During the recent Yeongnam wildfires, carbon monoxide, ozone, methane, sulfur dioxide, and others were released. Large amounts of black carbon, which has a greenhouse gas effect 1,500 times stronger than carbon dioxide and is considered a major contributor to global warming, were also detected.

Statistics on greenhouse gas emissions from this year's wildfires are expected to be released by mid-2027. However, since greenhouse gas emissions cannot be narrowed down to specific regions or periods, the impact of the 'March Yeongnam wildfires' can only be estimated. Based on 2022 data, Korea's total wildfire damage area was 24,000 hectares, resulting in approximately 1.8 million CO2 equivalent tons (CO2eq) of greenhouse gas emissions. Simply reflecting the Yeongnam wildfire damage area (about 48,000 hectares) could mean greenhouse gas emissions reaching 3.6 million CO2eq tons.

The government explained that greenhouse gas emissions may change once the damage situation is specifically assessed. A Ministry of Environment official said, "Greenhouse gases caused by wildfires are calculated by multiplying the burned area by the damage level," adding, "Emissions are estimated differently depending on whether the area was completely burned or only partially burned." They further explained, "Even for the same tree, carbon released differs between deciduous and coniferous trees, so forest conditions are an important factor to consider."