Hwaseong City Completes Installation of 'Visible Fire Extinguishers' on Hiking Trails for Wildfire Prevention

[Suwon Ilbo=Lee Su-won Reporter] Hwaseong City announced on the 10th that it has completed the installation of 40 'visible fire extinguishers' at 27 hiking trails in the city, including Mubongsan in Dongtan and Taehangsan in Bibong, which have high foot traffic, in order to prevent fires and create a safe hiking environment.

The 'Visible Fire Extinguisher Hiking Trail Installation Project' is designed to minimize damage to forests, lives, and property by enabling rapid initial firefighting response in the event of a wildfire, and to reduce the occurrence of wildfires by raising awareness among hikers through the placement of wildfire suppression equipment on hiking trails.

The city selected hiking trails requiring fire extinguisher installation by taking into account wildfire risk, on-site accessibility, and wildfire occurrence patterns, and completed the installation of extinguishers at key trail intersections and other locations that are easy to access and use.

Additionally, the city installed fire extinguisher boxes with a structure that prevents extinguishers from being damaged by snow and rain while allowing users to easily open and use them.

The city plans to assign management numbers to each extinguisher for systematic management and conduct joint inspections during hiking trail inspections. In particular, it also plans to provide training on fire extinguisher usage and maintenance methods to relevant personnel.

Meanwhile, the number of wildfires in Hwaseong City this year has decreased to 7 incidents, down to half the level compared to 12 incidents last year. The city plans to continue strict and zero-tolerance enforcement of violations of forest protection laws, including prosecution referral of wildfire arsonists and imposition of fines on those who burn forest-adjacent areas.

Hwaseong City Mayor Jung Myung-geun stated, "We are making every effort to ensure that Hwaseong Special City, which will be launched on January 1st next year, is safe from all types of forest disasters," and added, "Since many wildfires occur around Chuseok, the Korean Thanksgiving holiday, due to accidental fires from ancestral grave visits and burning of household waste, I urge all citizens to pay attention to and actively participate in wildfire prevention."