Gyeongsangnam-do, No Large Wildfires! Wildfires, Don't Move!

On the 29th, a Video Meeting of Officials for a Fire-Free Gyeongnam was Held!

On the 29th, a video conference with wildfire prevention officials was held to operate the Wildfire Prevention Countermeasures Headquarters and to fully respond to wildfire prevention. (Photo by Gyeongnam Province)

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kang Sharon] Gyeongsangnam-do held a video conference on the 29th with officials in charge of wildfire prevention measures to operate the Wildfire Prevention Countermeasures Headquarters and to fully respond to wildfire prevention.

At the meeting, more than 20 heads of forestry departments from the province and 18 cities and counties attended to discuss cooperation plans for preemptive wildfire prevention activities during the fall of 2020 and spring of 2021, as well as initial firefighting efforts, and to seek joint firefighting countermeasures.

The province will operate the Wildfire Prevention Countermeasures Headquarters from November 1st to May 15th of next year in accordance with the wildfire caution period.

3,312 wildfire monitoring personnel will be deployed in wildfire-prone areas to actively respond to prevention activities and initial firefighting, and seven leased firefighting helicopters will be operated sequentially from November 1st for rapid wildfire suppression.

In addition, to prevent arson by visitors, which is a major cause of wildfires, entry to 199,000 hectares of forest will be restricted during the wildfire caution period, 402 hiking trail routes totaling 1,246 km will be closed, and crackdowns on illegal burning near forest-adjacent areas will be strengthened.

Furthermore, the policy is to fundamentally block wildfire occurrences by directly visiting and educating not only the areas near forests such as surrounding farmland but also forest-adjacent farm sheds, livestock barns, and houses.

Yoo Jae-won, head of the Forestry and Greenery Division of Gyeongnam Province, requested that "cities and counties do their best to prevent wildfires and minimize wildfire damage in cooperation with related organizations," and also urged "active participation of residents in wildfire prevention," noting that most wildfire causes are arson by visitors and burning of agricultural byproducts.