Spring 'Wildfire' Warning... 1 in 4 Cases Caused by 'Garbage Burning'

Many Days with Dry and Strong Wind Weather Warnings
Burning Must Be Reported in Advance

Dry and windy spring wildfires and forest fires frequently occur. Fire authorities have urged people to refrain from indiscriminate burning.

According to the National Fire Information System of the Fire Agency on the 7th, a total of 7,191 forest fires occurred over five years from 2020, with the highest number of 1,597 cases (22.2%) occurring in March. April followed with 1,360 cases (18.9%), and February with 1,133 cases (15.8%). Spring is analyzed to have a high fire risk due to many days with weather warnings caused by dry weather and strong winds.

Over five years, 35 people died and 315 were injured due to forest fires. Property damage amounted to approximately 320 billion won, and 30,331 hectares of forest were damaged. Among the 10 deceased, 9 were elderly aged 70 or older. Many cases involved individuals who recklessly tried to extinguish small fires alone or were unable to escape the flames due to mobility issues.

The main causes of forest fires were garbage burning at 25.8% (1,852 cases), cigarette butts at 22.3% (1,607 cases), and burning of fields and forests at 15.5% (1,115 cases).

In particular, garbage burning and field/forest burning were concentrated in March, requiring special caution. The Fire Agency urged residents living near forest areas to refrain from indiscriminately burning agricultural, fishery, and household waste such as vinyl, and if burning is necessary, to conduct joint burning by village with the help of neighbors.

For households using wood boilers, flammable items such as wood near the boiler or chimney should be removed, and ashes should be checked again to ensure no embers remain before disposal. If a fire occurs due to careless handling of embers, instead of trying to extinguish it alone, people should move away from the fire direction to a safe place and immediately report to 119.

If a wildfire occurs during garbage burning, the person responsible may be held liable for arson, subject to civil damages and minor crime penalties. Therefore, it is essential to report the burning to the mayor, county governor, or district head before burning and take safety measures to prevent fires.

Park Geun-o, Director of the 119 Response Bureau at the Fire Agency, said, "During the dry spring season, there is a very high risk that small sparks caused by careless handling of fire or burning of field edges near forest areas can spread into large wildfires." He added, "It takes about 20 to 50 years to restore forests lost to wildfires, so we ask the public to be vigilant, refrain from indiscriminate burning, and follow basic safety rules to prevent forest fires."