(Daejeon=Yonhap News) Reporter Yoo Ui-joo = The National Institute of Forest Science's Forest Disaster Prediction and Analysis Center has urged special attention to fire management as it is expected that the number of regions with a 'high' level of wildfire risk will gradually increase, with most regions across the country currently at a 'somewhat high' level.
Analysis of the wildfire risk index from the National Wildfire Risk Forecasting System revealed that over the past five years, an average of 1.2 wildfires occurred per day in November when the wildfire risk index was at a 'somewhat high' level. In areas with a 'high' level, an average of 3 wildfires occurred per day, which is 2.5 times more than in areas with a 'somewhat high' level.
Analysis of the number of days without rain in November over the past 10 years showed that when there was no rain for three days, the average number of wildfires per day was 1.5, for four days it was 1.6, and for five days it was 2.3. Particularly, during the longest period without rain, which lasted 13 days, an average of 3.2 wildfires occurred per day, which is 3.7 times higher than the overall average number of wildfires per day in November (0.86).
Additionally, analysis of the average humidity during autumn over the past 10 years showed that when the average humidity was between 30% and 50%, an average of 3.2 wildfires occurred per day. Indeed, the average humidity on November 10 of last year, when 6 wildfires occurred during the autumn wildfire caution period, was 45%.
According to the weather forecast, with dry and clear weather expected until the weekend, the risk of wildfires is expected to increase.
Won Myeong-su, head of the Wildfire Research Division at the National Institute of Forest Science, said, "With dry weather expected to continue across the country until the weekend, the risk of wildfires is expected to increase gradually" and urged people to refrain from entering restricted areas in forests during the autumn wildfire caution period and to actively participate in prevention activities to ensure that wildfires do not occur due to illegal burning.