"At Least 30 Years Needed for Wildfire Recovery"... Yangcheon-gu Implements 24-Hour Wildfire Monitoring and Comprehensive Spring Wildfire Prevention Measures

Published 19 Feb.2022 19:06(KST)

Operation of 24-Hour Wildfire Monitoring, Joint Wildfire Suppression Drill with Related Agencies, and Wildfire Prevention Campaign with Honorary Wildfire Guards

"At Least 30 Years Needed for Wildfire Recovery"... Yangcheon-gu Implements 24-Hour Wildfire Monitoring and Comprehensive Spring Wildfire Prevention Measures

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Kim Soo-young) announced that it has designated the period from February 1 to May 15 as the spring wildfire prevention period and is operating a wildfire prevention task force.

According to statistics from the Korea Forest Service, an average of 474 wildfires occur annually over the past 10 years, with 67% of them concentrated in the spring season.

Since it takes at least 30 years to restore once a wildfire occurs, prevention must be prioritized over suppression.

Accordingly, Yangcheon-gu has organized 28 related officials into five teams at the wildfire prevention task force situation room during the wildfire prevention period, maintaining a 24-hour wildfire prevention surveillance system divided into daytime (Park and Greenery Division from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.) and nighttime (duty room from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. the next day).

They carry out ▲ wildfire suppression training and wildfire prevention campaigns ▲ installation of wildfire prevention banners at major hiking trail entrances and intensive crackdowns on burning activities ▲ situation command in case of wildfire occurrence ▲ establishment of cooperation systems with related organizations (fire department, police, military, etc.) and adjacent forest jurisdiction agencies (Guro-gu, Gangseo-gu, Bucheon-si, Ojeong-gu) ▲ and wildfire occurrence report reception.

The district plans to regularly conduct ‘joint wildfire suppression drills with related organizations’ to cultivate rapid and effective wildfire suppression capabilities and establish a cooperative system with jurisdiction agencies.

In addition, the district will put up wildfire prevention banners at major hiking trail entrances and carry out wildfire prevention campaigns together with Yangcheon-gu’s ‘Honorary Wildfire Guards,’ focusing all efforts on publicity activities to prevent wildfires.

Kim Soo-young, Mayor of Yangcheon-gu, said, “According to statistics, most wildfires occur due to minor carelessness of mountain visitors,” and added, “During the dry spring season, even a small ignition can spread into a large wildfire, so please refrain from burning or smoking in the mountains and actively cooperate to protect our precious forest resources.”