7.7 out of 10 Large Wildfires Occur Concentrated in March-April... Korea Forest Service Operates Special Measures Period and Response

Park Jong-ho, the Commissioner of the Korea Forest Service, presided over the "National Wildfire Safety Officers Meeting (Video Conference)" on the 12th. The meeting was attended by 28 related organizations, including 16 city and provincial wildfire management agencies excluding Daegu City, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of National Defense, the National Fire Agency, the Korea Meteorological Administration, and the Cultural Heritage Administration. Provided by Korea Forest Service

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] A significant portion of wildfires throughout the year occur mainly in the spring. Accordingly, the Korea Forest Service plans to focus its response capabilities during periods of frequent wildfires to prioritize wildfire prevention and control.

On the 13th, the Korea Forest Service announced that it has designated the period from the 14th of this month to the 15th of next month as the "Special Measures Period for Large Wildfires" and will launch an all-out effort to prevent wildfires.

This proactive approach is based on the consideration that during March and April, dry spring weather and an increase in visitors to forest areas could lead to simultaneous wildfire outbreaks nationwide.

In fact, the Korea Meteorological Administration forecasts that during this period, there will be more days with higher temperatures and dryness than usual. Additionally, in the Gangwon and Gyeongbuk East Coast regions, frequent strong winds such as the "Nopsaebarami" increase the risk of wildfires spreading into large-scale fires.

Statistically, wildfires were frequent and damage was significant even during the Special Measures Period for Large Wildfires from 2010 to 2019. According to data compiled by the Korea Forest Service, 44% of annual wildfire occurrences, 66% of damaged area, and 77% of large wildfires exceeding 100 hectares were concentrated in March and April of each year during this period.

Among these, large wildfires occurred as follows: four cases in Uljin in 2011; one case in Pohang and Ulju in 2013; one case in Gangneung in 2017; one case in Goseong in 2018; and three cases in Goseong, Sokcho, Gangneung, Donghae, and Inje in 2019, which exacerbated the damage.

Reflecting this situation, the Korea Forest Service plans to operate the national crisis alert system during the Special Measures Period for Large Wildfires in three stages: "Caution," "Warning," and "Severe," with tailored operations for each stage. They will also increase personnel at the central and regional wildfire prevention headquarters and maintain a 24-hour emergency response system.

First, as dry and strong wind warnings are issued in the Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces, seven wildfire suppression helicopters will be flexibly deployed forward. Nationwide, a total of 168 helicopters?including 48 from the Korea Forest Service, 68 from local governments, and 52 from related agencies such as the Fire Agency and Ministry of National Defense?will be coordinated for deployment to wildfire sites according to the situation, enabling rapid initial response.

Additionally, administrative efforts will focus on preventing illegal burning activities such as burning of rice paddies and field edges, which are among the main causes of wildfires, as well as preventing arson by visitors. This includes operating a regional responsibility system for monitoring personnel and deploying and operating "drone monitoring teams" in blind spots to efficiently monitor and prevent wildfires.

Efforts will also be made to prevent wildfires caused by burning agricultural residues and household waste in areas adjacent to forests. Cooperation with local residents will be strengthened to remove flammable materials near forest edges, and joint crackdowns on illegal burning will be intensified with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Ministry of Environment, and other relevant agencies.

Meanwhile, prior to the operation of the Special Measures Period for Large Wildfires, on the 12th, the Korea Forest Service held a "National Wildfire Safety Officials Meeting (via video conference)" chaired by Director Park Jong-ho to review regional wildfire response readiness and discuss ways to strengthen cooperation with related agencies.

The meeting was attended by 28 related agencies, including wildfire management organizations from 16 cities and provinces (excluding Daegu), the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of National Defense, Fire Agency, Korea Meteorological Administration, and Cultural Heritage Administration.

Director Park Jong-ho of the Korea Forest Service stated, "While rapid suppression when a wildfire occurs is important, it is also a critical task to establish conditions for preemptive preparation and swift response when situations arise. During the Special Measures Period for Large Wildfires, the Korea Forest Service will devote all efforts to preventing large wildfires, while actively encouraging personal hygiene practices among wildfire monitoring and suppression personnel to prevent infectious diseases."

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