Dry Golden Holiday Increases Wildfire Risk... Half Caused by Hikers' Arson

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[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] From the 30th of last month until Children's Day, a golden bridge holiday period continues, and it has been found that the risk of forest fires during the spring holiday period increases every year. In particular, more than half of the causes of forest fires are due to arson by visitors entering the mountains, requiring special caution.

The Korea Forest Service announced on the 1st that it will launch an "all-out response to forest fire safety" as the number of mountain visitors is expected to surge during this holiday period due to the easing of social distancing and the season for harvesting wild vegetables coinciding. With the easing of social distancing during this holiday period, the number of people visiting the clean area of the ‘forest’ is expected to increase, while dry weather warnings have been issued nationwide and localized strong winds are forecast, raising the risk of forest fires even higher.

Forest fires during the spring holiday period have been steadily increasing every year. In the same period last year, 13 cases occurred, nearly double the average of the past 10 years, with arson by mountain visitors accounting for 58%, more than half of the main causes. Burning and cigarette-related arson accounted for 9% and 5%, respectively.

The Korea Forest Service plans to prepare special measures to prevent forest fires during this holiday period and will make an all-out effort to prevent forest fires centered on the central and regional forest fire prevention headquarters. In the event of a forest fire, a total of 168 helicopters will be mobilized for coordinated firefighting, including 116 forest fire-fighting helicopters (48 from the Korea Forest Service, 68 from local governments) and 52 helicopters from related agencies such as the Fire Department and the Ministry of National Defense.

In particular, in the East Coast region, where the risk of large-scale forest fires is high due to the Yangganjipung winds, a strategy has been established to respond strongly from the early stages of forest fires by forward-deploying 10 forest fire-fighting helicopters, including 2 ultra-large helicopters.

To prepare for large-scale forest fires at the metropolitan level, 523 personnel specialized in forest fire suppression, including aerial firefighting teams and special forest fire disaster suppression teams, are on standby to strengthen ground response capabilities along with aerial firefighting.

The national crisis alert for forest fire disasters remains at the "caution" level, and guidance and crackdown activities are being strengthened in vulnerable areas within forests such as trail entrances and habitual wild vegetable harvesting sites. Strict measures will be taken against illegal activities such as unauthorized mountain entry and illegal harvesting of forest products.

All monitoring personnel, including special forest judicial police officers, forest fire watchers, and specialized forest fire prevention and suppression teams, are fully mobilized and will operate intensively during high-risk forest fire hours (11 a.m. to 8 p.m.) to prevent nighttime forest fires in advance.

In fact, as of 5 p.m. on the first day of the holiday, the 30th of last month, according to the Korea Forest Service Central Forest Fire Prevention Headquarters, a total of six forest fires occurred nationwide, including in Gimhae, Gyeongnam; Yongin, Gyeonggi; Pocheon, Gyeonggi; Andong, Gyeongbuk; Namyangju, Gyeonggi; and Hongcheon, Gangwon.

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