"If 1m Away from Forest Road, Wildfire Damage Area Increases by 1.55㎡"

"When the distance from the forest road increases by 1 meter, the area of wildfire damage increases by 1.55㎡."

There is a consistent call to continuously expand forest roads. This is because forest roads play a significant role in preserving and utilizing forest resources and responding quickly to disasters such as wildfires. A forest road is a type of road installed in forests for forest management and administration.

A wildfire special firefighting vehicle approached near the wildfire site along the forest road. The forest road is usually used as a route for the movement of forest resources, but in case of forest disasters such as wildfires, it facilitates the deployment of equipment and personnel, enhancing response capabilities. Provided by the Korea Forest Service

According to the National Institute of Forest Science on the 5th, forest roads serve as transportation routes for moving forest resources such as timber during normal times.

However, when a wildfire occurs, they attract attention because they enable firefighting personnel and vehicles to quickly access the ignition point, facilitating initial and nighttime firefighting efforts.

The role and construction effects of forest roads have also been confirmed overseas.

For example, a study conducted on national forests in the United States where large wildfires occurred analyzed that areas with relatively low forest road density have higher "fuel continuity," increasing the likelihood of large wildfires.

In particular, a study analyzing the mutual relationship between wildfire damage scale and forest roads produced the result that "for every 1 meter farther from the forest road, the wildfire damage area increases by 1.55㎡."

In Finland, which has forest conditions similar to Korea (60% of the land is forest, and coniferous forests account for 50% of the total), more than 130,000 km of forest roads have been established and operated to improve accessibility for firefighting personnel and equipment, which is analyzed to have led to a reduction in damage area to 0.4 hectares per incident during wildfires.

The United States and Japan have also established wildfire management strategies utilizing forest roads and are systematically responding to wildfire suppression.

Expanding forest roads also has a positive impact on forest management. The National Institute of Forest Science emphasizes that expanding forest roads can increase the usable forest area by 5 to 8 times, and if forest road density increases from 10m/ha to 20m/ha, the collection cost through mechanized timber production can be reduced by 35 to 47%, contributing to the sustainable management of forest resources.

Dr. Hwang Jin-seong of the National Institute of Forest Science said, "We will continue research on the facility standards of forest roads and their relationship with wildfires for efficient prevention and suppression of wildfires," adding, "We will also conduct research to identify the various values of forest roads and environmentally friendly forest road facility plans."

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