“Snuff out sparks before they spread” ... Forestry Cooperative mounts all-out nationwide wildfire prevention effort

[Financial News] As dry autumn weather causes fallen leaves to accumulate and raises the risk of wildfires, the Forestry Cooperative is stepping up wildfire-prevention efforts nationwide.
 The National Forestry Cooperative Federation said on the 10th that it would launch a comprehensive wildfire-prevention plan with member cooperatives nationwide for the fall wildfire-prevention period (November 1 to December 15).
 The risk of wildfires has risen to unprecedented levels amid recent climate-change-related rainfall shortages and an increase in highly dried-out combustible material in forests. In response, the Forestry Cooperative plans to prevent fires caused by the unauthorized burning of agricultural residues and to conduct intensive on-the-ground prevention activities, focusing on areas near forests and major forest-use facilities.
 To that end, a total of 160 organizations, including the National Forestry Cooperative Federation and 142 member cooperatives, have formed volunteer wildfire suppression teams comprising 1,585 people and begun full-scale operations. The teams have inspected around 3,700 pieces of specialized equipment for initial wildfire response, including backpack pumps and water sprayers, and are patrolling vulnerable areas in each region and checking for hazards in advance.
 Key prevention activities include: △support for shredding agricultural residues on farmland near forests and around villages, along with guidance against illegal burning △wildfire-prevention campaigns in areas with many visitors, such as temples and hiking trails △increased patrols by volunteer wildfire suppression teams in vulnerable areas △publicizing safety measures around farms that use wood-burning boilers.
 Chang-ho Choi, president of the National Forestry Cooperative Federation, said, “Since wildfires start with even the slightest neglect of basic precautions, prevention is far more important than an initial response,” adding, “We will pool the capabilities of Forestry Cooperatives nationwide and do our utmost to protect valuable forest resources and the lives of the public.”
 Meanwhile, recent wildfire statistics identify the illegal burning of rice-paddy and field embankments and agricultural residues in rural areas as one of the main causes of autumn wildfires. Because fields often directly border forests, small sparks carried by the wind frequently spread in an instant into large wildfires. Forest authorities are expanding programs to collect and shred agricultural residues in order to prevent burning at its source.
[email protected] Kim Won-jun Reporter