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South Korean fire crews battled what the acting president <\/span>said on Wednesday were some of the worst wildfires ever in the country. At least 18 people have died, according to the authorities, as strong winds and dry conditions helped fuel the fires.<\/p>\n Two ancient Buddhist temples were among the more than 200 buildings damaged or destroyed since the fires began on Friday<\/a>. Tens of thousands of acres have been scorched in the country\u2019s southeast, the government said, and more than 27,000 people evacuated, including around 500 inmates from a prison.<\/p>\n Eight fires were still burning on Wednesday morning, up from six on Monday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n In addition to the fatalities, at least 19 people were injured, six of them seriously, the Interior Ministry said on Wednesday. Many of those who died were in their 60s and 70s, a local police official said in a briefing. The government noted that 43,000 acres had been damaged.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The fires appeared to be \u201cbreaking the record for the worst wildfires ever,\u201d said acting President Han Duck-soo, who just this week was reinstated<\/a> after being impeached in December. In a statement, his office said the fires were spreading beyond initial predictions.<\/p>\n Among the people evacuated from their homes were residents of the 600-year-old Andong Hahoe folk village<\/a>, a UNESCO World Heritage site more than 130 miles southeast of Seoul. Villagers described the blaze as \u201cthe devil\u201d on social media and expressed frustration at the lack of success in putting it out.<\/p>\n