On March 25, environmental organizations and experts held a press conference in Andong, Gyeongbuk, to release the final private investigation results regarding the devastating forest fire of March 2025, which caused the largest damage in history. They posited that the government’s inability to effectively extinguish the fire raises questions about their fire management practices and preparedness. They emphasized that initial responses failed to curb the fire effectively despite deploying numerous resources, leading to the suggestion that the issue lies not with the inability to act but rather with the reluctance or failure to act adequately.

The research revealed several critical points, including severe shortcomings in the firefighting efforts. Despite having many aircraft and personnel engaged in the firefighting operation, the fire was only 2% contained within the first hours. This sparked doubt over the adequacy of resource utilization and raised suspicions about governmental explanations citing extreme weather conditions as a primary reason for the firefighting difficulties. Following analysis of weather data shortly before and during the fire, the conclusion was drawn that there were no significant winds at the time that could have been a major contributing factor to the failure to control the fire, disputing the government’s previous claims.

Moreover, it was noted that prior to the outbreak of the fire, there were no significant fire hazard warnings in place for the region, and the risk was evaluated as 'normal.' The report criticized not only post-disaster responses but also the lack of preventive measures and ineffective fire spread prediction systems. Findings from analyzing 1050 locations impacted by the fire indicated multiple factors correlating with the intensity of the damage, further reinforcing the call for a sweeping reform in firefighting policies and practices by the government.