Gyeonggi-do Launches Spring Wildfire Prevention 'Mobile Patrols'... Until April 19

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province will conduct mobile crackdowns to prevent forest fires targeting 31 cities and counties from the 14th of this month to the 19th of next month, as spring is the season with a high risk of large forest fires.

To this end, the province has organized nine inspection teams to focus on cracking down on activities such as burning rice paddies and fields, agricultural waste, and various household garbage in rural areas, major hiking trails, parks, and areas adjacent to forests.

In particular, seven cities and counties, including Hwaseong-si, where many burning-related forest fires occur, have been designated as 'Special Management Areas for Burning-Related Forest Fires' for intensive crackdowns.

The province plans to strictly enforce the law by imposing fines when illegal burning activities are detected during this crackdown and to inform residents about the dangers of burning activities.

Burning within 100 meters of forests is strictly prohibited, and violators will be fined up to 500,000 KRW according to the Forest Protection Act.

If a forest fire occurs due to negligence, the offender may face imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of up to 30 million KRW.

Additionally, through the 'Creating Green Villages Without Burning-Related Forest Fires' campaign, which has been promoted since 2014, efforts will be made to encourage voluntary participation of local residents in forest fire prevention.

Lee Sung-gyu, Director of the Provincial Forestry Division, said, "Through this crackdown, Gyeonggi Province will raise awareness of the dangers of illegal burning activities and do its best to prevent forest fires caused by burning," adding, "Since the risk of forest fires is high in spring, please absolutely refrain from burning activities."

Meanwhile, among the 172 forest fires in the province last year, 41 cases, accounting for 24%, were caused by burning activities.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.