◀ Anchor ▶
The dry winter season is a time when the risk of forest fires is high.
Although the damage that forest fires cause to the ecosystem is severe, many people point out that the punishment is not significant.
A cigarette fire led to a forest fire that burned an area the size of 120 soccer fields, but the punishment was limited to a suspended sentence.
This is reporter Kim Eun-cho’s report.
◀ Report ▶
In the pitch-black darkness, a red-hot flame burns uncontrollably, driven by strong winds.
This is a forest fire that broke out in Gunbuk-myeon, Okcheon-gun last April.
This fire turned 850,000 square meters of forest, the size of 120 soccer fields, into ashes, and a huge blaze even reached a nearby village.
[송찬구/산불 피해 주민 (지난 4월)]
″(Greenhouse) I piled up my exercise equipment, sauna equipment, everything that was a waste of money in it, and it all burned down.″
The forest fire started from a small cigarette fire.
The embers of cigarettes smoked and shaken off by Daecheong Lake fishermen caught on the fallen leaves and spread throughout the mountain.
[이화수/주민 (지난 4월)]
″(Fire) came over both sides. “I burned everything near my house and not just my house.”
Forest fires damage the forest, damaging the ecosystem and taking a long time to recover, but the court sentenced the fishermen to eight months in prison and two years of probation.
Although it is acknowledged that the damage was extreme and has not been recovered, they stated that they are reflecting and have taken into account the fact that there is no history of other punishment.
If you start a forest fire, you can face up to three years in prison or a fine of 30 million won, but considering that it is mostly a mistake, the court is imposing a suspended prison sentence or a small fine.
In fact, of the 100 or so forest fires that have occurred in North Chungcheong Province over the past five years, only about 10% have been punished.
At least he was only fined about a million won.
[문현철/한국산불학회장 (호남대 경찰행정학과 교수)]
″Punishment must be further strengthened in terms of destroying the climate crisis response system. The person who caused the forest fire must compensate for all costs incurred in extinguishing and restoring the forest fire…
Chungcheongbuk-do is planning to begin restoration work by cutting down all burned trees and planting new ones, but it is expected to take at least 30 years to restore the area to its former state.
This is Euncho Kim from MBC News.
2023-12-10 11:21:08
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