More Frequent Wildfires This Year... Beware of Drier Weather Than Usual in November-December

Ministry of the Interior and Safety Cracks Down on Burning Agricultural Residues and Cooking by Hikers
Small Fires Can Quickly Spread to Large Ones... Report Immediately if Found

On the afternoon of May 1st this year, a wildfire broke out in Dowon-ri, Toseong-myeon, Goseong-gun, Gangwon Province, and, carried by strong winds, spread to the area around Dohak Elementary School, located quite a distance away, fiercely engulfing the forest. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Amid a significant increase in the number of wildfires nationwide this year, concerns are rising that wildfires will occur frequently this fall and winter as precipitation is expected to be similar to or less than the average.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety urged the public on the 7th to participate in wildfire prevention activities during the wildfire caution period from November to December 15.

◆ Increasing Wildfires ... 85% of Annual Wildfires Occur Concentrated in November-December= According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, an average of 440 wildfires occurred annually over the past 10 years (2010?2019), destroying an average of 857 hectares of forest. Both the number of wildfires and the area of damage have shown an increasing trend.

This year alone, by November 1, 532 wildfires have already occurred, causing significant damage with 2,898 hectares of forest lost.

In particular, wildfires occurring between November and December, when dry days increase with the change of seasons, average 374 cases annually, accounting for 85% of all wildfires in a year. Among these, 152 cases, or 42.2%, were caused by arson by visitors to the mountains.

There were also 63 cases, or 16.8%, where wildfires spread from burning agricultural residues coinciding with the harvest season.

In December, 12.4% of wildfires were caused by fires spreading from wood-burning boilers, which are used more indoors due to the colder weather.

◆ Crackdown on Illegal Burning and Cooking Activities ... Punishment for Wildfire Occurrence= On the 4th, the government held a video conference with related ministries and 17 metropolitan cities and provinces to discuss autumn wildfire prevention measures.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Korea Forest Service decided to cooperate with local governments to focus on removing agricultural residues near forests in November and December after the harvest to reduce wildfires caused by burning.

During the wildfire caution period, access to hiking trails with a high risk of wildfire will be temporarily restricted, and personnel will be deployed to strictly crack down on camping and cooking activities by hikers. Additionally, the Fire Agency will install firefighting facilities such as emergency extinguishing devices in villages near forests and strengthen mobile patrols in areas with a high risk of wildfire.

The Ministry of National Defense will refrain from using flammable tracer bullets during shooting training, spray water before shooting, and adjust shooting times if necessary.

Monitoring of wildfires will also be intensified. Over 20,000 wildfire monitoring personnel nationwide and equipment such as forest drones will be deployed for surveillance activities. Wildfire suppression helicopters will be stationed nationwide to respond within the golden time for rapid initial firefighting, and helicopters from related agencies will be mobilized if necessary.

On the afternoon of the 30th of last month, a firefighting helicopter was conducting extinguishing operations near Jokduribong Peak in Bukhansan, Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

◆ Prohibition of Carrying Fire Sources Such as Matches and Lighters During Hiking= The Ministry of the Interior and Safety emphasized the active participation of the public in wildfire prevention, noting that small fires can easily escalate into large ones during the dry autumn season.

Agricultural residues generated in farmland should not be burned but collected and disposed of properly. If a wildfire occurs due to unauthorized burning, offenders will be punished according to relevant laws. When hiking, check for restricted trails, prohibit carrying fire sources such as matches and lighters, and only camp and cook in designated areas.

Wood-burning boiler ashes and briquette ashes must be checked to ensure no embers remain before safe disposal. Cigarette butts should not be discarded carelessly, and when extinguishing cigarettes near mountains, care must be taken to prevent embers from spreading.

An official from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said, "In autumn, dry days are frequent and dry fallen leaves accumulate, so even a small fire can spread rapidly in the mountains," urging, "Please actively participate in prevention by immediately reporting any wildfires discovered."

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