Gyeonggi-do Invests 27.2 Billion KRW to Reduce Wildfires by 30%

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province will invest a total of 27.2 billion KRW this year to reduce forest fires by more than 30%.

On the 28th, Gyeonggi Province announced that it has allocated a budget of 27.2 billion KRW, including 8 billion KRW for leasing forest fire-fighting helicopters, 14.2 billion KRW for operating specialized forest fire prevention and suppression teams, 1.6 billion KRW for constructing four Forest Fire Prevention Support Centers, and 500 million KRW for supporting equipment for related organizations such as military units, to protect the lives and property of residents from forest fires this year.

The province will first operate a "Forest Fire Prevention Countermeasures Headquarters" during the spring (February 1 to May 15) and autumn (November 1 to December 15) forest fire caution periods, as well as during holidays and major events, in cooperation with frontline cities and counties. The headquarters will normally be responsible for on-site command and enhancing the firefighting capabilities of forest fire prevention personnel. Integrated forest fire-fighting drills and ground firefighting competitions will also be held.

The province also plans to mandate investigations into the causes and damage status of forest fires and strengthen the imposition of fines and criminal charges against those responsible for causing forest fires.

Additionally, Gyeonggi Province will operate a "Golden Time System" by distributing 20 forest fire-fighting helicopters across cities and counties to ensure arrival at the scene within 30 minutes from the time of report. Each city and county will operate at least two specialized forest fire prevention and suppression teams using mechanized forest fire-fighting systems.

In particular, the province will establish "Forest Fire Prevention Support Centers," where forest fire-fighting personnel can be on standby and store firefighting equipment, in four cities and counties including Yongin. It will also newly purchase 12 forest fire-fighting vehicles, 19 sets of mechanized system equipment, and 1,655 sets of personal firefighting equipment. Projects to replace unmanned forest fire surveillance cameras and observation posts, as well as to expand wireless communication equipment, will also be promoted.

The province will strengthen forest fire prevention publicity campaigns.

To this end, it will conduct customized forest fire prevention promotions by period and region through various media such as TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, and SNS, and carry out campaigns mainly at places where many people gather, such as event venues.

Kim Seong-sik, Director of the Livestock and Forestry Bureau of the province, explained, "As seen in the 2019 forest fires on the East Coast of Gangwon Province and the Australian bushfires, forest fires can cause significant human and property damage. Especially since 25 million people live in the metropolitan area, where forest fire damage could be severe, we plan to focus on forest fire prevention and early suppression in implementing these projects."

Meanwhile, last year, 172 forest fires occurred in the province, accounting for 26% of the nationwide total. By cause, burning activities accounted for the largest share at 24%, followed by arson by visitors and building fires. In particular, fires originating in buildings or industrial sites that spread to nearby forests are increasing.