Last month, an analysis revealed that approximately 3.66 million tons of greenhouse gases were emitted due to wildfires in the Gyeongbuk, Gyeongnam, and Ulsan regions. This amount is similar to the emissions produced by about 34.36 million mid-sized cars making round trips between Seoul and Busan.
The Korea Forest Service National Institute of Forest Science stated on the 8th that approximately 3.66 million tons of CO₂eq (carbon dioxide equivalent tons) of greenhouse gases are estimated to have been emitted from wildfires that occurred from March 21 to 30 in Gyeongbuk, Gyeongnam, and Ulsan. The carbon dioxide equivalent ton is a unit that converts the emissions of various greenhouse gases into the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide.
When a wildfire occurs, the leaves and branches of trees burn and emit various greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide. The amount of greenhouse gas emissions can also be determined based on the area affected by the wildfire and the volume of the forest.
The provisional impact area resulting from this wildfire is estimated to be 48,239 hectares (ha, 1 ha is 10,000 m²), with emissions estimated at 3.245 million tons of carbon dioxide, 272,000 tons of methane, and 143,000 tons of nitrous oxide. In total, this amounts to 3.66 million tons.
This is an estimate based on the current provisional wildfire impact area, and as investigations into the area affected by the wildfire are conducted, the area damaged and the volume of the forest may increase, leading to a rise in greenhouse gas emissions.
The greenhouse gas emissions of 3.66 million tons corresponds to about 9.2% of the amount absorbed by forests as of 2022. This is similar to the amount emitted by approximately 34.36 million mid-sized cars making round trips (800 km) between Seoul and Busan.
Kim Rae-hyun, director of the Forest Carbon Research Center, noted, "When a wildfire occurs, a large amount of greenhouse gases is immediately emitted into the atmosphere, so I hope the public will join in wildfire prevention during the remaining wildfire vigilance period."