Yoon Hee-geun, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, Pledges "All-Out Effort to Prevent Casualties" in Gangneung Wildfire

Published 11 Apr.2023 13:30(KST)

Measures Taken to Prevent Casualties... Establishing Readiness for Dispatch

Yoon Hee-geun, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, on the 11th, regarding the wildfire in Gangneung Gyeongpodoong, instructed, "The Gangwon Provincial Police Agency Chief should maintain a close cooperative system with related organizations and fully support available personnel and equipment."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Commissioner Yoon said, "Especially in areas where wildfire impact is a concern, proactively support resident evacuation and control traffic to prevent casualties," and urged, "Pay attention to the safety of on-site police officers as well."

He continued, "Provincial police chiefs should also strengthen preventive patrols and establish a dispatch readiness system in preparation for emergencies, as large wildfires are feared due to strong winds."

Meanwhile, at around 8:20 a.m. that day, a pine tree in a hill in Nangok-dong, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do, was knocked down by the wind and collided with a utility pole and power lines, causing a fire. As the flames quickly spread to nearby coastal residential areas, the fire authorities issued the highest alert level, Level 3, and are working to contain the fire.