![[전국]Unusual large-scale wildfires in February… increase damage from dryness and strong winds](https://image.ytn.co.kr/general/jpg/2021/0223/202102232021272747_t.jpg "[전국]Unusual large-scale wildfires in February… increase damage from dryness and strong winds")
[앵커]
Unusually this year, large-scale wildfires are occurring simultaneously in February.
The weather is very dry and strong winds often blow, and once a forest fire occurs, it is spreading greatly.
Reporter Song Se-hyuk covered it.
[기자]
Red flames burned fiercely and gray smoke covered the sky.
Both sides of the road are engulfed in flames, so you can feel the heat inside the car.
[제보 시민 : 야 이거 큰일 났다. 우예 가노. 우리. 와 빨리빨리 큰일 났다. 세상에 어이구 뜨거워. 무척 뜨거워.]
On the 21st, a forest fire in Imdong-myeon, Andong-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, burned 250ha and over 350 soccer fields.
It is the largest ever damage area of forest fires in February.
It is also unusual that four large-scale forest fires of 10ha or more occurred simultaneously, including Yecheon, Gyeongbuk and Yeongdong, Chungbuk.
Looking at the forest fires that have occurred in the last 10 years, more than half are concentrated in the hot, dry spring.
However, this year, the timing of the outbreak of wildfires is on the rise.
The total number of wildfires that occurred this year was about 100, up 30% from the same period last year.
Most of them are wildfires because of carelessness, such as cigarette fire or garbage incineration.
[박태민 / 삼척시 산림보호담당 : 식당에서 타다 남은 연탄재를 현장에 버린 것으로 추정되는데, 불씨가 안에 살아 있었던 것 같아요. 아마 그게 발화된 것으로….]
Gangwon’s Yeongdong area is at greater risk of large-scale wildfires than ever.
This is because there is almost no snow and rain this winter, with only about 6mm of rainfall, so the dry weather continues for a long time.
Here, the southwest wind crosses the Taebaek Mountains and the winds that become dry at high temperatures, the so-called’yanganjipung’, are considered to be the main culprit for raising forest fires.
[안찬각 / 동부지방산림청 산림보호팀장 : 작은 화재도 대형 산불로 번질 우려가 있는 만큼 산림청에서는 진화 헬기 10대와 인력 570여 명을 투입해서 촉각을 곤두세우고 산불 대응에 임하고 있습니다.]
The forest authorities urged them to be cautious, saying that even if they accidentally fire a forest fire, they could be imprisoned for up to three years, fined up to 30 million won, and even liable for damages.
YTN Song Se-hyuk[[email protected]]is.
※’Your report becomes news’ YTN awaits your valuable report.
[카카오톡] Search YTN to add a channel [전화] 02-398-8585 [메일] [email protected] [온라인 제보] www.ytn.co.kr
[저작권자(c) YTN & YTN plus 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]