spreading through the building and threatening the safety of upper floor occupants.
148. Search and rescue personnel wearing breathing apparatus searched the upper floors, collected 100 trapped persons and led them to the safety of the street. The fire was brought under control within 22 minutes after the time of call. The damage at this incident is estimated at $67,933, and the fire is believed to have been caused by the over-heating of a drying machine igniting slippers therein.
4th Alarm-Fuk Wah Street, Kowloon
149. This fire to which the Fire Service was called at 03.19 hours on 28th February, 1966 involved the ground floor cockloft, 1st and 2nd floors of a 5 storey R.C.C. tenement building. The ground floor and cockloft were used as a dye and chemical shop.
150. On arrival of the Fire Service units fire was spreading rapidly to the 1st and 2nd floors trapping 29 people above the fire. The entire building was heavily smoke-logged, and one of the search and rescue teams wearing breathing apparatus pressed their way to the upper floors, first subduing the fire on the lower flights of the staircase and then forcing their way past the main seat of the fire at first floor level. As the team passed the first floor level a violent explosion occurred (later found to be due to an over-heated liquid petroleum gas cylinder) which stunned its 4 members, inflicted severe injuries on their hands and exposed flesh and severed their life lines. 3 of the men quickly recovered and pressed forward with their duties. The 4th man, severely injured, only semi-conscious and isolated from his colleagues. by smoke and pockets of fire could not follow them. The Leading Fireman in charge of the rescue team led his 2 companions up through the upper floors, completed the search of the premises and evacuated 7 people including an unconscious child to safety over the roof to an adjoining staircase. To reach the adjoining staircase the men had to force their way through roof squatter structures using their bare and burnt hands to remove obstructions. When the men reached the street all 3 collapsed and were conveyed to hospital.
151. The explosion stunned the officer in command of the breathing apparatus entry control point but when he recovered he led a second team in and despite punishing conditions succeeded in reaching and bringing to safety the fourth member of the rescue team who had stoically refrained from calling for help in order not to distract his colleagues from their rescue work on the upper floors.
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