Wando-gun to Operate Wildfire Prevention Headquarters One Month Earlier

Published 06 Oct.2022 14:45(KST)

[Wando=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Choi Kyung-pil] Wando-gun, Jeollanam-do announced on the 6th that due to the recent dry weather, various forest fires occurred throughout the county in September, prompting them to advance the operation of the autumn forest fire prevention headquarters, which usually starts in November, by one month and establish it from this month to begin a full-scale forest fire prevention system.

In February, the county built a two-story ground-level forest fire response center (287㎡) in Sogayong-ri, Wando-eup, where firefighting personnel and various equipment can be centralized, establishing a rapid and efficient firefighting system and forest fire response readiness.

As a major forest fire prevention measure, to completely block forest fires caused by visitors, the county announced a ban on carrying flammable materials and other prohibited acts for forest fire prevention throughout all forests in the area. For 10 forest sites, including Wando Sangwangsan, where large forest fires are feared, entry is controlled and hiking trails are closed for focused management.

The county plans to establish a system by contracting a leased helicopter for forest fire suppression with a private company, which will conduct frequent aerial patrols for forest fire prevention and promptly dispatch for firefighting in case of fire occurrence.

To crack down on illegal burning, the main cause of forest fires, 32 specialized forest fire prevention and suppression personnel were selected and deployed to major vulnerable areas to strengthen monitoring activities of burning acts.

In particular, since most forest fires occur due to burning activities near forests and adjacent areas, the county is promoting the “Creating Green Villages Without Burning Forest Fires” project through meetings with village heads of each eup and myeon to preemptively block and eradicate burning activities.

For vulnerable eup and myeon areas, the county plans to invite instructors to conduct forest fire prevention publicity education and intends to strictly punish those who burn near forest-adjacent areas by imposing fines.

During the forest fire caution period, to raise residents’ awareness of forest fires, the county will strengthen forest fire prevention publicity activities by publishing forest fire prevention advertisements in newspapers and hanging banners at the entrances of major hiking trails.

Park Eun-jae, Director of the Forest Recreation Division, said, “We will expand and promote prevention activities to create a town without forest fires, so we ask residents to participate as well,” adding, “We will do our best to pass on beautiful forest resources to future generations.”