Hwaseong City Completes Installation of 'Visible Fire Extinguishers' on Hiking Trails for Wildfire Prevention

[Suwon Ilbo=Lee Su-won Reporter] Hwaseong City announced on the 10th that it has completed the installation of 40 'visible fire extinguishers' across 27 hiking trails in the city, including Mubongsan in Dongtan and Taehangsan in Bibong, which see high foot traffic, to prevent fires and create a safe hiking environment.

The 'Visible Fire Extinguisher Hiking Trail Installation Project' is designed to minimize damage to forests, lives, and property through rapid initial firefighting in case of wildfire outbreak, and to raise awareness among hikers by providing wildfire suppression equipment on hiking trails to reduce wildfire incidents.

The city selected hiking trails requiring fire extinguisher installations in consideration of wildfire outbreak risk, field accessibility, and wildfire occurrence patterns, and completed the installation of extinguishers in easily accessible locations such as major trail intersections.

Additionally, the city also installed fire extinguisher boxes with a structure that prevents damage from snow and rain while allowing hikers to easily access and use the extinguishers.

For systematic management of the visible fire extinguishers, the city plans to assign management numbers to each extinguisher and conduct inspections alongside regular trail inspections. In particular, the city also plans to provide training to relevant personnel on how to use and maintain the extinguishers.

Meanwhile, the number of wildfire incidents in Hwaseong City this year totaled 7 cases, representing a 50 percent decrease compared to 12 cases last year. The city plans to continue strict and zero-tolerance enforcement against violations of the Forest Protection Act, including prosecution of wildfire negligence cases and fines on those burning adjacent forest areas.

Hwaseong Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun stated, "We are making every effort to ensure that Hwaseong Special City, which will launch on January 1st next year, is safe from various forest disasters. As many wildfires occur around Chuseok, Korea's major holiday, due to grave-tending fires and burning of household waste, I urge citizens to take interest in wildfire prevention and actively participate in prevention efforts."