26. This relatively minor incident illustrates the unspectacular ser- vice which the department is constantly required to perform. During the year, more than a hundred people were removed to safety following special service calls where no fire was involved.
No. 26 Belcher Street, Kennedy Town
27. A serious fire broke out on 7th November, 1961, in a godown situated in Belcher Street, Western District. For almost an hour, officers and men struggled to gain control of a fire which threatened to develop into serious proportions. Hampered by difficulties in obtaining an ade- quate water supply, the senior officer commanding considered sending in a ‘Brigade Call' but, helped by a change of wind, the fire was brought under control and finally extinguished within 3 hours of receiving the call. Property directly at risk was valued at $600,000 and some $200,000 worth of damage was caused by fire and water.
Plantation Road, Hong Kong
28. On 5th October, 1961, a call for assistance was received when a young girl, suffering from an overdose of sleeping tablets, was found unconscious on a steep hillside in Plantation Road. She was moved to safety on a stretcher by safety lines.
Portland Street, Kowloon
29. A severe fire which broke out, on 3rd October, 1961, in the ground floor and cockloft of a seven-storey structure illustrates the dangers arising from the illegal use of buildings. Most of the rooms were used as dwellings but dangerous goods were stored there, an un- registered school had been opened on the fifth floor, all stairways were blocked, and metal gates barred access to the roof from the school.
Kwun Tong
30. Shortly before midnight on 14th November, 1961, the depart- ment answered a call to Kwun Tong where 3,000 bales of raw cotton had caught fire in a godown. Heavy smoke obscured a wide area and neighbouring factories were in danger of becoming involved in the fire helped by a strong wind. This proved to be the most expensive fire of the year resulting in damage estimated at $1.9 millions. Two members of the Fire Services and a Police Officer were injured.
King's Theatre, Hong Kong
31. A serious fire broke out on 20th November, 1961, in a depart- ment store adjoining the main exit to the King's Theatre. The cinema
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