Gyeonggi Province Receives Letter of Appreciation from Army 5th Corps for Contribution to DMZ Wildfire Suppression

Early Suppression Achieved with Rented Wildfire Helicopters from Cities and Counties
in the Province Amid Challenges in Deploying Military Helicopters in the DMZ

Gyeonggi Province announced on June 5 that it had received a letter of appreciation from the Army's 5th Corps in recognition of its contribution to wildfire suppression within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

Helicopter rented for wildfire suppression. Provided by Gyeonggi Province

On June 4, the 5th Corps presented the letter of appreciation to Gyeonggi Province at the Chuncheon Victory Hall of its main office, describing the joint wildfire suppression effort between the local government and the military as a model for disaster response.

Earlier this spring, when a wildfire broke out in the DMZ area, Gyeonggi Province supported the deployment of rented wildfire suppression helicopters from cities and counties within the province to special zones where military helicopters were restricted, thereby preventing the fire from spreading.

Currently, a total of 18 rented helicopters are operated by 23 cities and counties (with some jointly leased) across the province, and Gyeonggi Province covers 30% of the leasing costs.

In particular, the province serves as a control tower by operating the Wildfire Prevention Headquarters situation room, overseeing helicopter deployment and coordinating support of suppression helicopters between cities and counties in the event of large-scale wildfires.

Meanwhile, during the spring wildfire prevention period, the province made every effort to respond to wildfires throughout its territory. During this period, a total of 80 wildfires occurred in the province, with the affected area totaling 338,700 square meters (33.87 hectares). Rented wildfire suppression helicopters operated by cities and counties were deployed from the initial stage of each fire, enabling quick suppression, and demonstrated mobility by responding swiftly even when multiple fires broke out simultaneously.

Lee Taeseon, Director of Forest and Greenery at Gyeonggi Province, said, "The recent DMZ wildfire suppression was a result of close cooperation between Gyeonggi Province and the military," adding, "We will continue to protect the lives of our residents and our forests from wildfires by utilizing the full capacity of the rented helicopters operated by the province."