Suggestions for Wildfire Prevention Measures Also Proposed
Sancheong County, Gyeongnam Province, announced on the 1st that a 'Wildfire Damage Recovery Measures Briefing' was held in the county office's main conference room.
During the briefing, various discussions were held regarding support for those affected by the large wildfire that occurred in the area of Sicheon-myeon on the 21st of last month, as well as ways to help residents quickly return to their daily lives.
In particular, County Governor Lee Seunghwa and others expressed condolences for those who lost their lives while fighting the wildfire and pledged to make every effort toward recovery.
Governor Lee stated, "I offer my condolences to those who died in the line of duty while extinguishing the wildfire and extend my sympathies to their families. We will do our utmost to ensure their sacrifices are not in vain by focusing all efforts on wildfire recovery so that all Sancheong residents can return to normal life as soon as possible."
Sancheong County, designated as a special disaster area, will provide emergency disaster relief funds of 300,000 KRW (provincial funds) per person to residents of Sicheon-myeon and Samjang-myeon. In addition to relief for affected residents, various administrative, financial, and medical costs will be supported by national funds.
There will also be reductions or deferments for various taxes, health insurance premiums, national pension contributions, and communication and electricity fees. Currently, Sancheong County has established a government-wide one-stop support system for wildfire victims and is operating the Gyeongnam Joint Support Center.
Each working group is being deployed on-site to receive support applications and identify difficulties for prompt action. To stabilize daily life, support is being provided for relief funds, living expenses, housing costs, relief expenses, education costs, small business support, and recovery costs.
Relief funds and living expenses are provided in varying amounts depending on death, missing persons, or injuries, while housing costs are divided into categories such as total or partial destruction of homes and tenant assistance. For those whose homes were damaged, temporary modular housing will be provided as interim accommodation.
Recovery costs will be supported for residential buildings and damaged agricultural and forestry facilities, and high school tuition fees will be waived. Relief support will include meals and relief supplies, and medical expenses will be provided for residents affected by the disaster.
Previously, Sancheong County operated temporary shelters through evacuation orders for resident safety, and now, with all shelters closed, accommodations at the Korea Seonbi Culture Research Institute are being provided for 14 households (24 people) who lost their homes, minimizing inconvenience as much as possible.
In addition, the county continues to provide medical and psychological support, including the operation of on-site emergency medical centers, patient monitoring, and disaster psychological services. Furthermore, rapid support and recovery efforts are being made for each affected sector, such as after conducting damage assessments for key agricultural and forestry specialty products like Gojongsi persimmons, beekeeping, and wild vegetables.
During the meeting, proposals to the government aimed at improving issues related to wildfire damage were also discussed. Key points included: ▲deployment of firefighting helicopters, ▲enactment of a special law for substantial compensation, ▲construction of additional wildfire response centers, and ▲expansion of forest roads and installation of check dams.
Governor Lee Seunghwa said, "Because Sancheong County, home to Jirisan National Park No.1 and vast forests, is vulnerable during wildfire season, it is essential to deploy firefighting helicopters for rapid response. A special law should also be enacted for substantial compensation for those who died in the line of duty, such as the Changnyeong wildfire suppression team, following the designation as a special disaster area."
He added, "I hope for much interest and support so that a wildfire response center can be built in the southern region, in addition to the one in the northern area, to reduce dispatch times, and so that more forest roads and water storage facilities can be established for wildfire prevention and response."
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