Governor Park Wansu of Gyeongnam Orders "Stay Alert at All Times" ... Special Directive for Full-Scale Wildfire Response

As the wildfire in Sancheong-gun, Gyeongnam continues for a second day, Park Wansu, Governor of Gyeongnam Province, issued a special directive on the 22nd for all cities and counties in the province to make every effort to prevent wildfires.

He also instructed that when a dry weather advisory is in effect, people should refrain from entering the mountains and put all their efforts into early suppression of fires.

Through this directive, Gyeongnam Province strongly requested that all cities and counties establish an all-encompassing response system covering wildfire prevention, early suppression, and protection of human lives. The measures include: ▲strengthening advance monitoring and prevention activities ▲establishing a wildfire response system ▲implementing recovery and damage support measures ▲reinforcing emergency duty and public awareness campaigns.

Gyeongsangnam-do Governor Park Wansu is giving instructions on the firefighting plan and direction at the wildfire site in Sancheong County. Provided by Gyeongsangnam-do

To strengthen advance monitoring and prevention activities, the following were ordered: ▲focus on publicity, guidance, and enforcement to prevent wildfires caused by carelessness such as burning agricultural waste and trash ▲strictly inform people of prevention rules such as prohibiting the possession of flammable materials by mountain visitors, restricting cooking and smoking, and banning the disposal of cigarette butts ▲reinforce pre-inspections of wildfire-prone areas, designate evacuation sites, and establish a system to ensure resident safety in advance ▲inspect firefighting personnel and equipment, and establish a system for immediate response, communication, and reporting ▲strengthen prevention activities in cooperation with private organizations such as autonomous disaster prevention teams, village heads, and volunteer fire brigades.

Regarding the establishment of a wildfire response system: ▲mobilize all available equipment and personnel in cooperation with related agencies such as the Korea Forest Service, Fire Agency, and military, and make every effort for early suppression ▲ensure thorough resident evacuation measures to minimize casualties, especially considering the possibility of fire spread due to strong winds ▲prioritize the safety of firefighting personnel during nighttime operations ▲improve communication networks and strengthen cooperation among agencies.

For recovery and damage support measures: ▲stockpile and secure disaster relief supplies and operate a rapid damage support system ▲quickly assess the situation if there are displaced residents and implement support measures without leaving any welfare blind spots ▲strengthen post-management systems such as support for the injured, deceased, and their families, and psychological recovery ▲emphasize immediate action when neighboring cities and counties request support with personnel, supplies, or equipment.

Regarding the reinforcement of emergency duty and publicity: ▲maintain a 24-hour emergency duty system and real-time situation sharing in areas where the wildfire risk alert is 'very high' or above ▲continue prevention campaigns and public awareness through various media such as local broadcasting, village broadcasting, and electronic displays.

Governor Park said, "Do not allow even a moment of complacency and keep a close watch on the situation until the end," adding, "Cities and counties must strengthen their alert posture and immediately mobilize all available resources for prompt action."

Gyeongnam Province has been making every effort to extinguish wildfires that broke out in Hadong on the 21st, Sancheong on the same day, and Gimhae on the 22nd.

Due to the Sancheong wildfire, four people have died and 263 residents have evacuated, while the Gimhae wildfire has so far caused no casualties but 72 people from 47 households have evacuated.

Gyeongnam Province is mobilizing all available helicopters, firefighting equipment, and personnel to continue firefighting operations in each area, and plans to redeploy helicopters and personnel as soon as daylight breaks to extinguish the fires.