Special Wildfire Prevention Task Force Activated... Local Districts and Busan Facilities Corporation Collaborate
Strengthened Mobilization Criteria by Stage, Designated Responsibility Areas, and Concentrated Deployment of Monitoring Personnel
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dong-guk Lee] Busan City is strengthening its wildfire disaster response capabilities and launching an all-out effort from the New Year of 2023, the Year of the Black Rabbit, to realize a "safe and happy city for citizens, Busan."
From 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on January 1st, a special wildfire prevention task force will be activated in cooperation with autonomous districts and counties, as well as the Busan Facilities Corporation, to proactively respond to wildfire risks caused by the increase in mountain climbers on New Year's Day.
Responsibility zones will be designated for wildfire-prone areas such as sunrise viewing spots, temples, shamanistic ritual sites, and mountain entry control zones, and surveillance personnel will be intensively deployed to carry out extensive wildfire prevention activities.
Next, Busan City will invest a record-high 17.2 billion KRW in wildfire prevention and response in 2023 (an increase of 4.3 billion KRW compared to this year) to solidly prepare measures for large-scale wildfires and establish a practical and effective response system.
This is to more effectively protect citizens and forests as wildfires occurred simultaneously and grew larger nationwide due to last year's worst drought in 50 years. Last year, Busan recorded 21 wildfire incidents, about twice the annual average of 11 cases.
In particular, Mayor Park Hyung-jun's focus on prioritizing citizen safety was instrumental. Mayor Park personally directed a joint wildfire suppression drill at the newly established Gijang-gun Wildfire Response Center last November and emphasized the increase in the wildfire budget during a press conference.
Specifically, for wildfire prevention and response next year, the city plans to implement ▲ two newly leased helicopters for wildfire suppression ▲ installation of wildfire information alert systems (8 locations) ▲ removal of wildfire risk factors (4 locations) ▲ maintenance of wildfire surveillance facilities (12 locations) ▲ replacement of outdated fire trucks (3 units) ▲ expansion of firefighting equipment (402 items) ▲ forest management for wildfire prevention (300 hectares) ▲ creation of fire-resistant forest belts (2 hectares) ▲ installation of mobile water tanks.
The newly deployed leased helicopters for wildfire suppression will be fully operational from early January, aiming to arrive within the golden time of 30 minutes. They are expected to reach high-altitude and steep terrain areas where ground firefighting personnel have difficulty accessing first. This will enable effective wildfire response through rapid situation assessment and initial suppression.
The criteria for mobilization orders at each wildfire stage will also be strengthened. From medium-sized wildfires, wide-area firefighting personnel and equipment will be concentrated to prevent the spread to large-scale wildfires with full effort.
Mayor Park Hyung-jun of Busan said, "Our city has actively prepared for wildfire disasters throughout this year, but next year we plan to engage in even more thorough wildfire prevention and response," adding, "We will do our best to create a safe and happy city for citizens, free from wildfire risks."
He urged citizens, saying, "Losing the mountains and forests that have been nurtured for a long time happens in a moment of carelessness. Each small concern from citizens is that important," and requested, "When going to the mountains, please refrain from carrying flammable materials such as matches, lighters, and burners, and avoid entering prohibited areas. Also, please refrain from smoking in forests and adjacent areas to actively cooperate in protecting our precious forests."
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