Heatwave continues for days, high temperatures and dryness… “Beware of forest fires”
The Korea Forest Service announced on the 7th that special caution is needed as the possibility of forest fires increases due to the continued high temperature and dry weather caused by the heat wave.
According to the Korea Forest Service, a forest fire broke out around 1:00 PM on the 5th in Yeongdong-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do and was extinguished in 5 hours and 20 minutes.
Six firefighting helicopters, 17 firefighting vehicles, and 117 firefighters were deployed to extinguish the forest fire, and the main fire was extinguished at 6:20 PM.
In particular, public officials from the Korea Forest Service, aerial firefighting teams, forest fire disaster special firefighting teams, Yeongdong-gun public officials, forest fire prevention and firefighting teams, and firefighters from Chungbuk Fire Department worked hard to the point that they could be said to have put out the fire with sweat while a heat wave warning was in effect.
Each organization systematically cooperated in accordance with the ‘Basic Act on Disaster and Safety Management’ and the ‘Standard Manual for Forest Fire Disaster Crisis Management. ’
Yeongdong County Governor Jeong Yeong-cheol went to the scene and personally commanded the fire, and the Central Regional Forest Service Director and Boeun National Forest Management Office Director assisted.
The Korea Forest Service Aerial Firefighting Team, Special Firefighting Team, and Yeongdong County Preventive Firefighting Team entered the mountain to put out the fire, and the Chungbuk Fire Department supplied water to the forest fire fighting vehicle with a fire truck.
At 5 a.m. on the 6th, the Korea Forest Service’s forest fire fighting helicopter was deployed to extinguish the remaining fire, and at 7 a.m., the forest fire fighting helicopter was withdrawn, and at 9 a.m., the follow-up fire monitoring system was put in place to prevent additional forest fires.
In accordance with Article 42 of the Forest Protection Act, the forest authorities plan to conduct a forest fire investigation through the forest fire investigation team to investigate the cause of the forest fire, the exact area of damage, and property damage.
Even if a forest fire is caused by minor negligence, the person causing the forest fire can be sentenced to up to 3 years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won under Article 53 of the Forest Protection Act.
Geum Si-hoon, head of the Forest Fire Prevention Division at the Korea Forest Service, said, “Due to climate change, forest fires occur 365 days a year, so even a small spark can spread into a large-scale forest fire if neglected, so please do not let your guard down just because it is summer, and thoroughly manage sparks.”
[Editor Lee]
