[Editorial] Extra guard on wildfires in April and May

The fire response alert was raised to Level 2 for the first time in Seoul due to Sunday’s wildfire at Mount Inwang in Jongno District. The fire was quenched five hours after it broke out after burning 15 hectares (37 acres) of the mountain in northern Seoul. According to the Korea Forest Service, 380 wildfires — mostly forest fires in Korea — were reported over the last three months. The number is 53.5 percent higher than the average of 247.5 from 2013 to 2022.

Wildfires are one of the common features of climate change. According to a 2022 government report on climate change, there were 742 wildfires last year, wiping out a combined 24,788 hectares, sharply above the 481 average count over the past decade. The UN Environment Programme last year warned of wildfires surging 50 percent globally by 2100.

The dry and wet seasons have become conspicuous around the Korean Peninsula, increasing the risk of extreme fires. The wildfire in Uljin, North Gyeongsang, which went on for 213 hours in March last year, burned down 319 houses and 20,000 hectares of forests. Wildfires must be tamed by helicopter water buckets, but many of the forest guard choppers are aged. Of 48 choppers under the Forest Service, 32 units, or 67 percent, are more than 20 years old, and 11 are aged 30 years or older, all subject to stronger safety checks.

There are also 29 quarter-century-old Russian choppers whose parts could be hard to get due to Russia’s war on Ukraine. When a chopper goes wrong, parts must be assembled from another chopper. Only five of those firefighting choppers are less than 10 years old. The civilian choppers used by local governments are also dated. The chopper that crashed while patrolling over Yangyang in Gangwon in November last year to kill five people was 47 years old. If the helicopters are not replaced and increased in number, more accidents could occur.

Wildfire control also demands technology updates. Drones should be mobilized to patrol remote and dangerous areas, and night vision cameras should be enhanced for monitoring after dark. Garbage burning should be banned near forest areas or controlled through common-use incineration facilities. Forest trails whose ratio falls far below those of Germany and Japan must be raised to help prevent wildfires.

When planning a forest, the tree types should also be studied carefully. Needle-leaf trees are easily flammable and can burn longer as they contain resins and oils. That type of trees populates 40 percent of Korean forests, whereas a mixed forest makes up just 30 percent. Broad-leaf trees are easier to be tamed, and their deep roots also can prevent landslides. April and May are the typical months for wildfires around Gangwon. Authorities must be on extra guard.