Yangyang Forest Fire Damage and Restoration Measures

1. Overview of Fire Incident and Suppression


- Outbreak: April 4(Monday) 23:53;
Hwa-il-ri, Yangyang-eup(provincial road no. 1 vicinity)
- Initial Suppression: Announce complete suppression on April 5 (Tuesaday), 11:20
※ After suppression of large fire under integrated forest fire management
regulations, left over fire management was conducted, coming to complete
suppression
- Spread: April 5 (Tuesday) 11:30; During left over fire management operation, the
fire spread was caused by strong wind of 15m/s. At 14:00 the fire started to spread.
- Suppression: April 6 (Wednesday) 5:40; As daybreak, 38 helicopters, 184 fire
engines, 11 thousand crews were mobilized for intensive fire operation.
Complete Suppression at 08:00.


- Outbreak: March 30 (Wednesday) approx. 11:30;
Started at the border vicinity in the North Korean territory.
OnApril 4, at 20:55, the fire spread to the South Korean territory.
- Spread: Suppressed at the dawn of April 5, however, due to strong winds the fire
expanded to Myeongpa-ri Village.
- Suppression: April 6(Wednesday) 05:40. At daybreak, 13 helicopters, 20 fire
engines, 1 thousand crews were mobilized. Suppression of large fire and left over
fire management operation.
※ The left over fire in the DMZ was suppressed by KFS helicopter on April 8(Friday)
at 17:52
- Despite the strong winds of 15~25 m/s, no casualties arose and major facilities
such as power magazine, power plants were saved.
- After the large fire suppression, left over fire management operation was not
thoroughly conducted causing significant cultural remains to be damaged.

2. Status of Fire Damage and Control Measures

□ Estimated Damages
- Investigation Period: April 7~April 11, 2005(5 days)
- Investigation Team: 22 experts from Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishery;
Ministry of Construction and Transportation, Korea Forest Service, National
Emergency Management Agency, Cultural Properties Administration
- Investigation Results
Victims; 150 households, 390 persons
Property Damage: 416 stuctures, 22 cultural remains including Naksan-sa(temple),
Agricultural and livestock facilities. etc.
Forest Damage: 973ha of forest, forest products including ornamental plants,
surveillance camera, etc.

□ Actions Taken
- Announcement of disaster incident in Yangyang and Goseong(April 5)
- Central Disaster Measure HQ under Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery;
Measure Assistance Center organized and in operation under Korea Fores Service
(April 5)
- Annuncement of Yanyang as Special Disaster Zone (April 7)

□ Disaster Relief and Emergency Agricultural Assistance
- Victim assistance and relief supervised by Central Disaster Relief Center
* Supply of relief goods to the village assembly hall
- Assistance for emergency livelihood fund
* Special Residence Consolation Fund(357 million won), Special Transporation

Fund(2 billion won), etc.
- Assistance for Agricultural fund repayment and tax exemption, agricultural

management rehabilitation
* Extend agriculture fund repayment for 1~2 years with interest exemption.
* Increase agriculture and livestock disaster management fund up to 10million won
* Replace the existing debt with fund of repayment in 7 years and 3year grace

period.
- Free distribution of agricultural facilities, machinery, feed,
* rice seed, fruit tree seedling, seedling culture, agricultural toolds, assorted feed,

etc.
- Priority assistance for Development Fund for Substitute Forest Income(Oak

mushroom, mountain vegetables)

3. Fire Damage Restoration Action Plan


□ Basic Direction
- Classify emergency restoration and permanent measures taking into consideration

the possible damages from the rainy season
- Based on the empirical lessons learnt from the 2000 east coast forest fire, conduct

environmentally sound rehabilitation considering the ecosystem, landscape, public

opinion
☞Results of the Monitoring of the 2000 Forest Fire Restoration
- Classify the stands of the damaged area into target for felling and sustaining
- Mobilization of heavy equipments aggravate landslide hazards
- Maintenance of contour lines to control soil erosion


□ Restoration Measures
- Emergency restoration before the rainy season in June
* Erosion control restoration in landslide and erosion prone zone (mountain

erosion control 23 ha, erosion control dam 5 sites)
* Clearing of the debris to prevent additional damages(66ha)
- Permanent measures harmonizing artificial restoration and natural rehabilitation
* Restoration of pine plantation for pine mushroom production
* Landscape rehabilitation in tourist spots, roadsides, village vicinity, etc.
* Special plantation operation in Naksan-sa area for cultural heritage restoration
* Plantation of economical species in remote areas
* Natural regeneration of wildlife and plants in areas with self restoration capacity


☞ Determine the most appropriate restoration method through collection of

opinions from the local residents, experts, NGO.

Future Forest Fire Preventin Plan

1. Fire Preparedness in Spring


□ Forest Fire Status as of April 12
- 298 incidences, 1,312 ha of damages (23% of the previous year)
last year: 346 incidences, average of previous years: 386 incidences, 5,696ha


□ Designate Special Forest Fire Prevention Season until April
- Intensive operation of surveillance crews (23 thousand persons) in fire hazard zones
- Patrolling and taking special precaution against strong winds in zones of night

outbreak hazards


□ Early detection and early suppression to minimize damages
- Distribution of helicopters in 8 stations
- Regular aerial surveillance using small aircraft(2 fixed-wing aircrafts) and operation

of 135 surveillance camera.


□ Special management for fire hazard east coast area
- Station 2 super sized helicopters, 12~15 large-sized helicopters
- Establishment of integrated command system and strengthen coordination with

relevant agencies


2. Intermediate term and long term forest fire prevention

measures


□ Addition of super sized helicopters and mordernization of ground fire control

equipment
- Equip additional super sized helicopters to control large scale forest fire
(2005) 2 units → (2006) 3 units → (2007) 4 units
- Establish additional local hangars to shorten time of arrival
(2005) 8 stations → (2006) 9 stations → (2007) 10 stations
- Research and development of Koreanized suppression equipments to enhance

ground control capacity
Fires engine, automatic pump, fire crew transportation vehicles, etc.


□ Specialize forest fire suppression crew
- Extension of special suppression unit for night fire control and mountain area

operation
(2005) 48 crews → (2008) 500 crews
- Extension of exclusive forest prevention crew
(2005) 4000 persons → (2008) 8000 persons(40 for each city and county)


□ Organizational improvement and human resource expansion to enhance

comprehensive forest fire control capacity
- Central management function and forest fire command system
* Establish central forest fire management HQ and forest fire research center
* Review establishment of local cooperation and regional command center for large

forest fire prevention in the east coast area
- Expansion of forest department and increase human resources in the local

government forest fire hazard zone like the east coast
* Organize exclusive department for forest management and sub-department on

forest fire control (5 officers in each of 9 cities and counties, total 45 officers)
* (2005) 4,000officers → (2008) 8,000officers (40officers for each city and county)
* as of the present out of the 9 cities and counties in the region, 5 cities and guns

are not organized wit forestry department(Goseong, Yangyang, Sokcho,

Yeongdeok, Pohang)


□ Reinforece forest fire spread prevention project to protect residences and

temple within the forests
- Create fire prevention belt to minimize damages
* Benchmark from cases of USA(Fire Wise) and Canada(Fire Smart)
- Practice pruning and creat mixed forests to reduce fire risks of pine pure forests


□ Expansion of foundation facilities for fire suppression and spread prevention
- Forest road extension to enhance access of ground crew and equipments
(2004) 15,610km → (2010) 22,000km → (2030까지) 41,600km
- Build reservoir dams for fire suppression linking with flood control projects
- (2004) 2 dams → (2005) 1 dam → (2010) 10 dams





Translated by Int＇l Cooperation Division
☎ +82-42-481-4081 (Ms. Lee, Mira)