Pohang City Holds Emergency Meeting to Review Wildfire Response Readiness... All-Out Effort for Wildfire Prevention

Pohang City held an 'Emergency Countermeasure Meeting for Wildfire Response with Related Agencies' at the City Hall Disaster and Safety Situation Room on the 23rd, launching an all-out response.

Pohang City held an emergency meeting to inspect the wildfire response posture and launched a full-scale effort to prevent wildfires. Photo by Pohang City

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The meeting, presided over by Mayor Lee Kangdeok, was convened to review and share the preparedness posture for preventing large-scale wildfires and ensuring citizen safety, following the elevation of the wildfire crisis alert from 'Caution' to 'Severe' on the 22nd.

With district heads, department directors, heads of 29 towns and villages, and related agencies in attendance, the meeting focused on identifying and sharing available resources and roles by institution, and intensively discussed key preparedness measures. The city also initiated a quarter-staff emergency work system in response to the upgraded 'Severe' wildfire crisis alert on the 22nd.

On this day, Mayor Lee requested initial helicopter support from the 1st Marine Division to fill the gap caused by the mobilization of wildfire suppression helicopters, firefighting personnel, and equipment to large wildfire sites, as wildfires in Sancheong County, Gyeongnam continued for three days and the wildfire in Uiseong County, Gyeongbuk spread due to strong winds.

Additionally, he emphasized strengthening crackdowns and guidance to preemptively prevent wildfires caused by the burning of agricultural by-products and household waste, the main causes of wildfires, and called for all-out efforts in wildfire prevention through cooperation with related agencies and neighboring local governments until May, when large wildfires are frequent.

At the meeting, he instructed publicity on the prohibition of brush cutter operations near forests, identified as a major cause of large wildfires nationwide, and the imposition of fines for burning agricultural by-products and other waste. He also directed district heads and town/village heads to remain at their posts, establish a holiday on-site duty system, and strengthen village public broadcasting.

Furthermore, the Nam and Bukgu Fire Stations were asked to actively engage volunteer firefighters in guidance activities, and he requested that, in the event of a wildfire, the highest priority be placed on the prompt and safe evacuation of residents, with active police support upon request from town and village heads.

Mayor Lee Kangdeok stated, "During the spring season when wildfires can easily escalate, we are strengthening patrols by deploying public officials to areas adjacent to forests," and urged, "I ask all citizens to cooperate as one, paying particular attention to the burning of agricultural by-products and careless handling of wood boilers, so that wildfires do not occur."

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