The continuing flames burn a mountain near a prison in Cheongsong, in this photo provided by Korea Correctional Service, North Gyeonsang Province, March 26. Yonhap

Firefighters were scrambling Wednesday to contain a wave of wildfires that tore through the southeastern region and killed at least 18, but strong winds and dry weather have continued to hamper efforts to limit the spread of wildfires.

Scores of firefighting helicopters, about 5,000 personnel and some 560 pieces of equipment were mobilized, but the wildfires that began in Sancheong County in South Gyeongsang Province last Friday have spread across the region's northeast.

For five days, the fires have spread to nearby Uiseong and were advancing to neighboring Andong, Cheongsong, Yeongyang and Yeongdeok.

Of the 18 victims, two were found in Andong, three were in Cheongsong, six were in Yeongyang and seven in Yeongdeok, officials said.

Police officers recover a victim's body at a site with a vehicle burnt down by wildfires in Yeongdeok, North Gyeongsang Province, March 26. Yonhap

In Yeongyang, four of the five victims were found burned to death on a road at around 11 p.m. on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, acting President Han Duck-soo called for all-out efforts to help prevent the further spread of the deadly wildfires, describing them as "the worst ever wildfires."

So far, the wildfires have destroyed 17,000 hectares of forest and 209 houses and factories, Han said.

The engulfing flames destroyed Goun Temple in Uiseong, an ancient temple built in 681 during the Silla Dynasty (57 B.C.-A.D. 935). National treasures stored in the temple had been relocated to other locations.

Earlier Wednesday, a firefighting helicopter with one pilot crashed in Uiseong while battling a large wildfire in the country, killing the pilot.

The flames burns down the site of Goun Temple, an ancient temple in Uiseong County, as wildfires spread across the southeastern region in Uiseong, North Gyeonsang Province, March 25. Yonhap

The North and South Gyeongsang regions are home to numerous historical and cultural assets, including national treasures.

With the blazes showing signs of drawing closer, tensions were again rising around Hahoe Folk Village in Andong.

Hahoe, about 190 kilometers southeast of Seoul, is one of the most famous and popular folk villages in South Korea and was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site in 2010. It preserves houses and traditions from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). (Yonhap)