Numerical Simulations of Large Forest Fires in the East Coastal Region of Korea Considering the Yangganjipung Local Wind

Abstract

The east coastal region in Gangwon-do, Korea, has a high risk of large forest fires in the spring owing to the local wind called Yangganjipung. The East Coast forest fire of April 2000, the Yangyang forest fire of April 2005, and the Goseong forest fire of April 2019 are examples of large-scale forest fires caused by Yangganjipung. In the spring, the low pressure in the south and the high pressure in the north in Korea result in a western wind. This western wind is called Yangganjipung, and it exhibits characteristics of high temperatures, dryness, and high wind speeds over the Taebaek Mountains. Given that the risk of large forest fires is high in the east coastal region, the local government has established a forest fire prevention center to respond efficiently to such events. However, limitations pertaining to controlling the natural environment and limited equipment and workforce exist. In this study, the characteristics of previous forest fires in the east coastal region were analyzed through case studies, and two-dimensional numerical simulations of the Goseong forest fire of April 2019 were performed. The spreads of the predicted and actual forest fires were similar. In addition, forest fire spreading can be predicted more accurately if the model is improved by clarifying the terrain and fuel details. An effective plan for providing evacuation routes and resource allocation to mitigate large forest fires can thus be achieved using numerical simulation results.