Wildfire Prevention Budget Doubled from 7.5 Billion Won in 2022 to 15.8 Billion Won in 2026
Average Suppression Time Reduced to 2 Hours and 2 Minutes;
Number of Wildfires Down 33% Compared to 2022
Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Governor Kim Jin-tae) announced on March 3 that it will take an all-out approach to proactively respond to the 2026 spring wildfire season, pre-deploying a record-high 15,000 personnel and 27 helicopters.
As of 9 a.m. on March 3, there have been 9 wildfires this year, affecting 5.82 hectares. This is a decrease of more than half compared to the same period last year, when there were 15 cases and 26.94 hectares affected.
The province has already activated an early response system for the spring wildfire season. From March 15 to April 15, when wildfire risk is highest, it will implement the "Special Countermeasures Period for Large-Scale Spring Wildfires," further strengthening its response measures. During this period, personnel from related organizations such as military units and the Korea National Park Service will be dispatched to the Wildfire Prevention Headquarters for joint operations. Both aerial and ground firefighting resources will be placed on standby in advance to maximize the initial response capacity.
On-site, all efforts are being directed toward prevention and monitoring activities. A tight surveillance system is being operated with a total of approximately 15,000 personnel deployed, including 2,417 wildfire monitors, 1,979 village heads, over 6,800 volunteer firefighters, the Forest Disaster Response Team, and the Autonomous Disaster Prevention Corps.
In particular, 2,055 households with firewood boilers located within 30 meters of forest areas have been designated as key targets for intensive management, aiming to eliminate risk factors in advance. At the same time, personnel are being integrated to prevent any gaps in response, regardless of the type of disaster.
Aerial firefighting capabilities have also been substantially enhanced. For a total of 234 days during the 2026 spring and autumn seasons, 27 wildfire suppression helicopters (8 leased, 8 from the Korea Forest Service, 3 from fire agencies, and 8 from the military) will be operated, with the principle of deploying them to any site within the province in under 30 minutes to block the initial spread of wildfires.
During periods of heightened risk for large-scale wildfires, such as when strong winds are expected, helicopters from the Korea Forest Service will be pre-deployed to the East Coast region to shorten response times. If a fire breaks out in a building adjacent to a forest, the wildfire suppression team will immediately respond and work together with firefighting agencies.
In addition, 87 drones are being operated at all times for aerial surveillance of wildfire-prone areas and rapid assessment of initial conditions, thereby strengthening the integrated response system that combines aerial and ground measures.
The province has more than doubled its wildfire prevention budget from 7.5 billion won in 2022 to 15.8 billion won in 2026, consistently strengthening its prevention-focused policies. Since 2023, the province has taken full control of leased helicopter operations, establishing an integrated response system that spans city and county boundaries.
As a result, the number of wildfires decreased from 78 cases (7,431 hectares affected, including 4 large-scale fires) in 2022 to 51 cases (204 hectares affected, with zero large-scale fires) in 2025. This represents a 33% decrease in cases and a 97% reduction in affected area. Large-scale wildfires were prevented for two consecutive years in 2024 and 2025. The average time to extinguish wildfires also dropped significantly, from 2 hours and 55 minutes in 2022 to 2 hours and 2 minutes in 2025.
Governor Kim Jin-tae stated, "A record-high 15,000 personnel are working hard on the front lines," and added, "We have pre-deployed 27 helicopters. Securing even a single helicopter is difficult, but thanks to the active cooperation of related organizations, including three Gangwon firefighting helicopters, we were able to secure a total of 27 helicopters."
He emphasized, "We will mobilize all available resources, with unprecedented firefighting personnel and equipment, to achieve zero large-scale wildfires this spring."
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