Lee Han-gyeong, Vice Administrator of the Central Disaster Management Headquarters (Ministry of the Interior and Safety), noted on the 7th that "the weather conditions in the eastern coastal region in March are expected to resemble those during the Gyeongbuk wildfires from 6 p.m. today until tomorrow morning."
Vice Administrator Lee said this during a meeting on wildfire measures in anticipation of strong winds held earlier that morning.
The Korea Meteorological Administration forecasted that from 6 p.m. today until noon on the 8th, a pressure pattern known as Namgo-bukjeo (where high pressure is located to the south and low pressure to the north) would emerge in Gangwon's eastern coastal and Gyeongbuk regions. This reflects similar weather conditions to those observed during the spread of the Gyeongbuk wildfires last March.
Vice Administrator Lee stated, "In the eastern coastal region of Gangwon and the Gyeongbuk eastern coastal area, wind speeds are expected to exceed 20 meters per second along the coast and exceed 25 meters per second in the mountainous areas of Gangwon," adding, "What is even more concerning is that, as during the previous Gyeongbuk wildfires, wind speeds may not decrease at night and are expected to remain strong."
During the previous Gyeongbuk wildfires, gusts reached a maximum speed of 27 meters per second. This equates to approximately 8.2 km/h, which is about 60 km/h by automobile. The wind propelled sparks over a distance of 2 km, contributing to the spread of the wildfire.
Vice Administrator Lee emphasized that local governments at high risk for large wildfires, such as in Gangwon Province, need to be thoroughly prepared as unexpected uncertainties may arise beyond weather predictions, saying, "Forest and firefighting authorities should strategically position essential firefighting resources such as helicopters and firefighters in areas vulnerable to eastern coastal wildfires to ensure the golden time for evacuating residents is firmly upheld."