Yangpyeong County Holds Emergency Forest Fire Prevention Meeting, Launches All-Out Response

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Eom In-yong] Yangpyeong County held an ‘Emergency Forest Fire Prevention Meeting’ presided over by Vice County Governor Ma Soon-heung on the 28th at the Sarangsarang Conference Room of Yangpyeong County Hall, launching an all-out response to prevent forest fires.

The meeting was held to inspect and share preparedness measures for preventing large-scale forest fires and securing residents' safety following the escalation of the forest fire crisis alert from the ‘caution’ stage to the ‘critical’ stage on the 22nd.

In response to the forest fire crisis alert escalating to the ‘critical’ stage, the county entered an emergency duty system with all staff members. The meeting was attended by department heads, relevant department directors, and heads of 12 townships and departments in Yangpyeong County, who examined the roles of each department and intensively discussed major preparedness matters.

Vice County Governor Ma Soon-heung instructed strict implementation of surveillance and inspections including banning agricultural residue burning, expanding village broadcast announcements, and conducting forest fire prevention publicity and guidance activities. He emphasized establishing rapid initial firefighting dispatch and communication systems in case of forest fires, and establishing contact networks and evacuation plans for social welfare facilities such as nursing hospitals and nursing homes adjacent to forests.

Vice County Governor Ma Soon-heung stated, “Yangpyeong County's forest area comprises 71% of the county's total area, requiring special caution against large-scale forest fires. To prevent this, we are strengthening patrols by deploying civil servants in areas adjacent to forests,” and requested, “We ask residents to actively cooperate in preventing forest fires caused by agricultural residue burning and careless acts by visitors entering mountainous areas.”