On March 3, Gyeongsangnam-do began wildfire prevention and safety management measures in preparation for Jeongwol Daeboreum Daljip Burning Festivals and other traditional folk events scheduled across the province later that afternoon.
According to the provincial government, Jeongwol Daeboreum Daljip Burning Festivals and other folk events are planned to take place at over 330 locations in 18 cities and counties throughout the province on this day.
Among these, 19 events are expected to have more than 500 participants at any given time.
The 2023 Jeongwol Daeboreum Daljiptaeugi Festival in Yegok-ri, Jinbuk-myeon, Masanhappo-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongnam. Photo by Jonggu Song
The provincial authorities determined that the risk of wildfires is high, taking into account the fact that, although spring rain fell across the province during the March 1st Movement holiday and weekend, there were recent large-scale wildfires in Hamyang and Miryang, and strong winds with maximum speeds of up to 14 meters per second are forecast for today.
To address this, the province designated a responsible manager for each village hosting an event and conducted pre-maintenance and deployment of firefighting equipment. In addition, 1,386 firefighting personnel and 182 vehicles have been pre-positioned to intensify preventive patrols.
Furthermore, in areas where wind speeds exceed 10 meters per second, the province has requested, through the Administrative Cooperation Officer for Wildfire Prevention, a ban on the ignition of Daljip Burning ceremonies except for folk cultural events, and has dispatched on-site situation managers to ensure close safety management.
Previously, the Gyeongnam Fire Headquarters issued "Special Vigilance Duty No. 1" for all fire stations from 6 p.m. on March 2 until 9 a.m. on March 4, and has been operating a 24-hour monitoring system to prevent fires in vulnerable areas.
During this period, combustible materials and risk factors are being removed from fire-prone areas, including those designated as regions requiring enhanced fire prevention.
In addition, wildfire prevention patrols and safety measures have been strengthened through the use of drones for early wildfire detection and real-time on-site information gathering.
At major Jeongwol Daeboreum event sites, patrol areas are being subdivided and patrol frequencies increased. Firefighting units are being stationed nearby and firebreaks are being established to enable immediate response in the event of an incident.
Park Wansoo, Governor of Gyeongsangnam-do, said, "Please devote all your efforts to safety management, including taking appropriate measures according to the weather conditions in each city and county."
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