A South Korean man tending a family grave is suspected of sparking one of the ‘unprecedented’ wildfires that ravaged the southeastern part of the country last week, the National Police Agency said Monday.

The death toll included a pilot who died after a helicopter crashed during efforts to contain wildfires in the southeastern town of Uiseong, one of the areas hardest-hit.

South Korean police said on Sunday they booked a man suspected of starting what grew into the country's largest wildfire, killing at least 26 people and razing thousands of buildings including historic temples.