Wildfires raging in South Korea doubled in size on Thursday from a day earlier, as authorities called the blazes the country's worst natural fire disaster with at least 26 people killed and historic temples incinerated.

Wildfires in South Korea, declared the worst natural fire disaster, have doubled in size, killing at least 27 and razing historic sites. Over 33,000 hectares have burned in the largest recorded forest fire in the nation's history.