All-Out Efforts to Prevent Secondary Wildfire Damage Ahead of Heavy Rainfall
Kim Kwangyeol, the mayor of Yeongdeok County, conducted an urgent on-site inspection from April 28 to April 30 to prevent secondary damage from wildfires caused by the upcoming heavy rainfall.
Kim Kwangyeol, the mayor of Yeongdeok County, is conducting an urgent on-site inspection of areas vulnerable to secondary damage from the wildfire. Photo by Yeongdeok County
Yeongdeok County in North Gyeongsang Province lost 16,207 hectares of forest due to a large-scale wildfire that broke out on March 25.
Generally, areas affected by wildfires have weakened ground, which can lead to landslides or soil runoff. There are also concerns about secondary damage, such as weakened trees falling and causing harm to people or facilities.
In response, Yeongdeok County is quickly identifying and conducting emergency logging of trees at risk of falling, especially around residential areas and major facilities. The county is also working to prevent further damage by installing slope protection nets and sowing seeds for erosion control on steep slopes and other areas at high risk of landslides to prevent soil runoff.
Additionally, in areas that suffered severe wildfire damage?Yeongdeok-eup, Jipum-myeon, and Chuksan-myeon?the county has established the principle that rapid recovery is essential to prevent secondary damage. Various response measures are being implemented, including forest restoration, drainage maintenance, and the installation of temporary disaster prevention facilities such as coanet.
During the three-day urgent inspection, Mayor Kim Kwangyeol closely assessed the status of areas vulnerable to secondary damage and instructed that emergency restoration work be completed swiftly, focusing on steep slopes and landslide-prone areas where soil runoff is a concern due to heavy rain.
He also ordered the establishment of a system to enhance on-site response capabilities and expertise by strengthening collaboration with relevant agencies and specialized organizations, and directed that continuous monitoring and inspections be conducted for both wildfire recovery and areas vulnerable to secondary damage.
Mayor Kim Kwangyeol stated, "We are doing everything possible to ensure that residents, who have suffered great loss and pain from the wildfire, will not experience further frustration or hardship. We are making thorough preparations before the heavy rainfall to prevent any secondary damage," adding, "We will focus all our efforts so that county residents can quickly return to their daily lives and be free from worries about safety and the nightmare of wildfire damage."
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