Gangwon Province Establishes System for Simultaneous Dispatch of Three Helicopters for Initial Autumn Wildfire Response

Gangwon Province to Fully Operate "Autumn Wildfire Prevention Countermeasure Headquarters" for 57 Days Until December 15
Deployment of 26 Wildfire Suppression Helicopters and 15,398 Prevention and Monitoring Personnel
Strengthening Wildfire Prevention and Initial Response

The Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Wildfire Prevention Center (Director Lee Sungjin) announced on November 17 that, due to the increased risk of wildfires in autumn, it will fully operate the "Autumn Wildfire Prevention Countermeasure Headquarters" for 57 days from October 20 to December 15, strengthening its wildfire response system with helicopters and personnel.

A view of the Gangwon Provincial Government Building. Provided by Gangwon Province Special Self-Governing Province

The province has improved its operational system for leased helicopters, which are key resources for wildfire suppression, starting from this autumn.

Currently, eight leased helicopters are regionally allocated to groups of two to three cities or counties and deployed from October 12 to December 24. Previously, helicopters were first dispatched to the reported area and then additional helicopters were sent as needed. However, starting this year, a total of three helicopters, including those from neighboring cities and counties, are dispatched simultaneously at the initial stage.

This has established a rapid response system to prevent initial wildfires from spreading into medium-scale wildfires.

A total of 15,398 personnel will be mobilized for wildfire prevention and monitoring. This includes 2,380 wildfire monitors, 1,118 professional wildfire prevention and suppression team members, and 6,854 volunteer firefighters. These specialized monitoring personnel will conduct intensive patrols, focusing on areas vulnerable to wildfires.

The Wildfire Prevention Center emphasized that, with the arrival of the autumn foliage season, the number of hikers is increasing and more households are using wood boilers as temperatures drop. The center requested that residents strictly follow wildfire prevention guidelines, such as refraining from carrying flammable materials while hiking, thoroughly managing wood boiler ashes in areas adjacent to forests, and prohibiting illegal burning.

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