Korea’s Forest Firefighters: Inside the Battle Against the Blaze

WONJU, south Korea – In a nation where mountains dominate the landscape, the threat of forest fires looms large, especially during the dry season. ⁤At the forefront of the battle against these blazes are the specialized crews of the Forest Service’s air firefighting teams. These dedicated individuals, frequently enough working in ⁤challenging conditions, are the first line of defense⁤ against devastating wildfires.

Ra Sang-hoon: Leading the Charge

Ra Sang-hoon,a veteran of the Forest Service and leader of a specialized firefighting team,recently recounted his experiences battling a particularly⁢ fierce wildfire that swept through North⁤ Gyeongsang province. Just hours after returning from a nine-day deployment fighting ⁣fires in other regions, Ra was called back into action.

“Large forest fires are normally contained to one or ⁢two areas, but this time, the fire ⁣spread all the way to the coast,” Ra said, describing ‍the severity of the blaze. “It’s not an exaggeration to say it was unprecedented.”

The Public Firefighting Unit: Korea’s First responders

Established in 1997 in response to the devastating Goseong wildfires, the Public Firefighting Unit is Korea’s first dedicated forest fire response organization. Unlike traditional⁤ firefighters who tackle structural fires, these specialists are trained‍ to directly engage wildfires in rugged terrain.

Ra, one of the original 40 members selected from special forces in 1997, has spent over two decades as a “forest fire site guard.” He recently led a team of over⁣ 80 firefighters during what was recorded as one of the worst forest fires in recent memory. He expressed his condolences for⁢ the loss of helicopter pilot Park Hyun-woo, who died during the firefighting efforts.

battling the Blaze: Tactics and Challenges

Videos‍ circulating on social media ⁣showed crews battling strong winds on mountain peaks, highlighting the challenging conditions these⁣ firefighters face.Ra⁢ acknowledged the increased public⁣ awareness of forest fire dangers, but also emphasized the risks involved.

“To climb steep mountain trails, ‍firefighters wear the ‍lightest evolutionary clothes possible,” Ra explained. “Unlike ordinary fires, special equipment is not easy to use in the rough mountains, so you have to jump in with minimal equipment.”

One of the key tactics employed is creating firebreaks by digging⁢ furrows in the mountains. “If you scratch the ground together,you⁣ can sell 5 ~ 6km ⁣all night. If you don’t know what the fire can be turned ⁣off like an analog, but it can be much more effective in the field. It cannot be expressed in words. ”

Working overnight presents its own set of dangers.⁣ “The advantage of the night input is ⁣that the front is not visible (laughs).(Laughter). In⁢ the middle⁣ of the fire, the⁤ pine trees are up to 800 degrees Celsius, and even the pine trees are heated out of 1200 degrees, but the crew relies only on the lantern and the people, and the lantern⁤ is turned off⁢ when the fire is close. It is not until you build a daunting terrain until you build a fire ship.”

The physical demands are immense,often requiring firefighters to climb uphill through flames. Ra noted that improvements have⁣ been made in recent ⁤years, including the introduction of high-performance firefighting vehicles with large water tanks and extended hoses.

International collaboration

Ra also participated in the Canadian forest fire evolution in 2023. It ⁤was the first emergency tool that Korea dispatched abroad. last year, he led the⁢ instructor team dispatched to training forest fires of‍ the Mongolian government, and transferred the Korean forest fire evolution system. “in the early days, we benchmarked the forest fire evolutionary system in the US and⁢ Canada, and now we have developed enough to be interested in our system,” he said.

Looking Ahead

With ‍April being the most perilous time for wildfires, Ra emphasized the importance⁤ of preparedness and public awareness. “In Korea, which is a lot⁣ of ⁤mountains, we will be able to prepare for⁣ the country, but we will be able to run out of the ⁤fire.”