Wildfires Break Out Across the Country, Including 66ha Damage in Hadong
Suspected to Have Started by Brush Cutter... Human-Caused Accidents Repeated
Crashes of Aging Helicopters Also Recur
It has been a week since the 'record-breaking' wildfires in Gyeongbuk and Gyeongnam were brought under control last month, but large and small wildfires continue to occur in various places. Although the forestry authorities and local governments have sent countless disaster alert messages warning about wildfires, the number of suspected arson-related fires is increasing. Accidents involving the crash of aging helicopters have also been repeated.
According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on the 8th, a fire that broke out around noon on the 7th in Hadong-gun, Gyeongnam, affected an area of about 66 hectares, equivalent to 92 soccer fields. Due to this wildfire, 242 residents took refuge in three evacuation centers. Thirty-six helicopters and 753 personnel were deployed for firefighting efforts, but the main fire was not contained before sunset; however, by 11 p.m. on the 7th, the containment rate was raised to 99%. In addition, on the 7th alone, wildfires occurred and were extinguished in five locations: Cheonan in Chungnam, Yongin in Gyeonggi, Gangneung in Gangwon, Muan in Jeonnam, and Namyangju in Gyeonggi.
Each local government has been continuously sending guidance messages since last month’s 'monster wildfire,' including warnings about punishment for arson and prohibitions on burning when entering forests. However, they have not been able to prevent 'human-caused wildfires.' The Hadong wildfire is also presumed to have started while using a brush cutter. The Cheonan wildfire was caused by a cigarette butt, and the Muan wildfire occurred during the burning of agricultural waste. Previously, a wildfire that started in Uiseong, Gyeongbuk last month and burned about 40,000 hectares was caused by a grave visitor’s arson. The wildfire in Sancheong is also believed to have started from sparks generated by a brush cutter. Those who cause forest fires by negligence face imprisonment of up to three years or fines of up to 30 million won.
Accidents involving helicopters crashing during wildfire suppression efforts have occurred again. Around 3 p.m. on the 6th, a helicopter fighting a wildfire in Daegu crashed, killing a pilot in his 70s. The helicopter was a leased private helicopter rented by Daegu Dong-gu Office for wildfire suppression and was an 'aging helicopter' about 44 years old. The helicopter that crashed in Gyeongbuk on the 26th of last month was a leased helicopter from Gangwon with an age of 30 years. The situation is no different for helicopters owned by the Korea Forest Service. Among the Korea Forest Service’s wildfire suppression helicopters, 70% (33 helicopters) are over 20 years old, and 25% (12 helicopters) are over 30 years old.
The dry weather with strong winds is expected to continue for some time, making it impossible to lower vigilance. Dry weather advisories have been issued for Daegu, Ulsan, parts of Gyeongbuk, and Gyeongnam, and strong wind advisories have been issued for Ulsan, Gangwon, and Gyeongbuk. Until the afternoon of the 8th, strong winds with instantaneous gusts exceeding 15 m/s are forecast nationwide, and in mountainous areas, winds around 20 m/s are expected.
Authorities have begun preparations as weather conditions similar to those during the Gyeongbuk wildfire are forecast, especially along the East Coast, in addition to the strong winds. The Korea Meteorological Administration predicted that the 'high pressure in the south and low pressure in the north' pattern observed during the spread of the Gyeongbuk wildfire on the 25th of last month will reappear mainly in the East Coast region. On the 7th, Lee Han-kyung, Director of the Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, said, "From today, the possibility of wildfire spread increases, so related agencies should maintain a high level of alert and strengthen preparedness," and added, "We ask the public to strictly follow wildfire safety rules."
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