Spring Wildfire Prevention... Gangwon-do Launches Full-Scale 'Wildfire Prevention System'

Image source=Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] Gangwon Province will enter a full-scale wildfire prevention system starting next month on the 1st, operating a 'Wildfire Prevention Countermeasures Headquarters' at 164 institutions across the province during the 'Spring Wildfire Prevention Period.'

The Gangwon Province Wildfire Prevention Countermeasures Headquarters announced on the 26th that "related wildfire prevention agencies attended and held the '2021 Wildfire Prevention Related Agencies Council' this morning."

To prevent wildfires and enable proactive response, the province plans to forward-deploy a total of 30 wildfire suppression helicopters, the main resources for wildfire extinguishing, to strengthen initial response in case of wildfire occurrence.

Additionally, the province will focus on wildfire prevention by fully deploying personnel and equipment, including operating a pre-removal team for flammable materials near forest-adjacent areas (210 personnel, 137 vehicles).

This council was held to maintain close cooperation among related wildfire prevention agencies following the simultaneous wildfires in 2019 in Goseong, Sokcho, Gangneung, and Donghae, as well as the large-scale wildfire that occurred last year in Dowon-ri, Goseong.

In particular, the province will mutually support firefighting resources by stage at city and county levels, deploy wildfire monitors in key areas, and strengthen enforcement activities against violators such as unauthorized entry, carrying flammable materials, and cooking within forests.

Furthermore, the province plans to promote customized wildfire response strategies suited to local conditions, focusing on measures to minimize wildfire occurrence and damage.

Park Yong-sik, Director of the Green Bureau of the province, urged, "Although this year’s social conditions and climate change create unfavorable forest management circumstances, we ask that all efforts be devoted to wildfire prevention activities to prevent large-scale wildfires in the East Coast region."