Wildfires fueled by some of South Korea's worst winds have ravaged southern regions of the country.

According to officials, the fire has killed 18 people, destroyed more than 200 structures and displaced 27,000 people. 

A helicopter has crashed while trying to put out a blaze in the southeast Uiseng forest, one of the areas most affected by the fire, officials said. The Korea Forest Service said rescue operations were ongoing and that only one pilot was on board.

An ancient Buddhist temple, structures including houses, factories and vehicles were destroyed. According to the Government's Emergency Response Center, 43,330 acres of land were burnt and 19 people were injured.

In a televised address, the Acting President of South Korea, Han Deok-su, said that the fire that started last Friday caused more damage than many other fires in the past.

'Damages are mounting', Han said, 'We may have wildfire losses like we've never experienced before, so we need to focus all of our efforts on putting out all the fires for the rest of this week.'

Han said that due to the strong wind overnight, the workers were having difficulty in extinguishing the fire in the areas. He said that about 4,650 firefighters, soldiers and other personnel are working to extinguish the fire with the help of about 130 helicopters. He said that some amount of 5-10 mm of rain is expected on Thursday.

According to observers, the ongoing fire is the third largest in terms of land burned in South Korea. 

Officials in several southeastern towns and cities ordered residents to evacuate Tuesday as firefighters struggled to contain blazes fueled by dry air. According to South Korea's Ministry of Interior, the biggest fires were in Andong, neighboring and Uiseung and Sancheong counties and the city of Ulsan.

Earlier on Tuesday, officials said that most of the largest fires in the area had been extinguished, but the wind and dry conditions had caused the fire to spread again. But efforts to put out the fire were partially suspended overnight as winds picked up.

A fire in Uiseng has destroyed about half of the more than 30 structures of Gaunsa Temple. These structures were originally built in the seventh century. Among the destroyed structures were two state-designated 'treasures'-a mandap-shaped structure built on a river in 1668 and a Joseon dynasty structure built in 1904 to express the king's longevity. 

According to government and Buddhist officials, another state-designated 'treasure' of the temple, a stone Buddha statue built in the eighth century, was moved to a safe place.

The Korea Forest Service on Tuesday raised its nationwide wildfire warning to the highest 'severe' level. It has required local governments to hire more emergency response workers, tighten entry restrictions for forests and parks, and recommend that military units stop live-fire drills.

According to officials, four of the 18 dead are firefighters and government employees. They were killed in Sancheong on Saturday when they were caught in the flames due to strong winds.