The Korea Forest Service (Director Kim In-ho) announced that the cause of the wildfire that occurred in Gyeongsan, Gyeongsangbuk-do at around 5 a.m. on January 9 is suspected to be cigarette butts thrown while driving. The wildfire was reported at 5:02 a.m. in Oksan-dong and was extinguished in about 40 minutes by 5:43 a.m.
The exact cause of the wildfire is still under investigation, but considering that the fire occurred on the roadside and there were no other traces, the possibility of a wildfire caused by cigarette butts thrown while driving is being considered. Just two days ago, on January 7, a fire suspected to be caused by cigarette butts thrown while driving occurred in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do, which was blocked before it spread to a wildfire.
Additionally, the wildfire in Uljin-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, which caused the second-largest damage in the history of wildfires in Korea, is also suspected to have been caused by cigarette butts thrown while driving. The wildfire in Uljin-gun in 2022 left damage to over 16,000 hectares of forest, with the damage amounting to over 900 billion won.
Geum Si-hoon, head of the Korea Forest Service’s wildfire prevention department, said, “With the recent dry weather continuing, the risk of wildfires is increasing.” He urged, “A small negligence can lead to massive damage, so please refrain from using fire sources such as throwing cigarette butts and illegal burning in areas adjacent to forests.”