Jeonnam Ranks Fifth Nationwide in Wildfires... Full-Scale Promotion of Wildfire-Resistant Forests

Jeonnam Province to Create Forests to Prevent Large-Scale Wildfires
On-Site Communication Meeting Held with 22 Cities and Counties
6.5 Billion Won Invested... 1,724 Hectares of Prevention Forests to Be Created

On the 29th, Jeonnam Province held a communication meeting at the Gokseong wildfire prevention forest management site to create forests resistant to wildfires. Photo by Jeonnam Province

Jeonnam Province is set to actively promote the creation of forests that are resistant to wildfires in order to prevent such incidents. To this end, on the 29th, the province held a communication meeting at the Gokseong wildfire prevention forest management site to discuss the creation of fire-resistant forests.

According to data analyzed by Jeonnam Province and the Korea Forest Service on the status of wildfires by region nationwide (based on the years 2015 to 2024), Gyeonggi Province recorded the highest annual average number of wildfires in the country, with 129.9 cases. Jeonnam ranked fifth nationwide, with 37.7 cases, following Gyeongbuk (85.8 cases), Gangwon Province (74.1 cases), and Chungnam (39.6 cases).

In the case of Jeonnam, a significant number of wildfires were found to be caused by accidental fires such as waste incineration, with 25 such cases recorded over the most recent three years (2022 to 2024). Once a wildfire occurs, it tends to become extremely large. This is because, due to the region's characteristics, there is a high proportion of coniferous forests such as pine trees, making it difficult to extinguish fires once they start. In addition, abnormal climate conditions have led to less rainfall and drier weather, while the number of days with strong winds has increased, further raising the risk of wildfires.

In fact, in April 2023, a spark from an apiary in Hampyeong, Jeonnam, was carried by the wind to a nearby mountain, resulting in a large-scale wildfire. Due to strong winds, the fire spread rapidly and was only fully extinguished after 28 hours, by which time 681 hectares of forest had already been lost.

To prevent such large-scale wildfire damage in advance, Jeonnam Province plans to focus on wildfire prevention forest management projects that reduce forest fuel, which is one of the main causes of wildfire spread.

The core of this project is to carry out intensive thinning of coniferous forests such as pine trees, which are vulnerable in residential and road areas, and instead cultivate forests that are resistant to wildfires, thereby minimizing damage in the event of a fire.

At the communication meeting on this day, Jeonnam Province, together with forest management officials from 22 cities and counties, reviewed the current status of wildfire prevention forest management projects and discussed future development and expansion plans.

Various opinions were presented, including the need to adjust project unit costs to reflect reality, strengthen post-management using drones, and expand the scope of the project due to difficulties in selecting target sites.

This year, Jeonnam Province is implementing wildfire prevention forest management projects covering 1,724 hectares with a total budget of 6.5 billion won. In particular, to enhance the effectiveness of the project, the province plans to identify and address on-site issues through field discussions, practical training, and pre-design reviews.

Kang Sinhui, Director of Forest Resources at Jeonnam Province, stated, "Through wildfire prevention forest management, we will reduce the risk of forest disasters, create healthy forests that are resistant to wildfires, and continuously strive to protect the lives and safety of Jeonnam residents and nurture healthy forests."

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