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30. Protection of Plantations. Fire barriers and forestry paths in all parts of the Colony were cleared and repaired; in Mount Collinson Prohibited Area, an extension of the forestry service path, 3,417 feet in length, was made; two new fire barriers were made in the vicinity of old graves in the same area.
31. The total length of fire barriers cleared amounted to 40.52 miles, of which 34.07 miles were 10 feet and the remainder 20 feet in width. On Mount Davis, where fires frequently occur, 1.14 miles of barrier were widened from 10 feet to 20 feet. One new barrier was made in a plantation in the vicinity of a group of huts at Chung Hom Bay.
32. The total length of forestry paths cleared amounted to 41.71 miles.
33. Forest and Hill Fires. During the year, 65 fires occurred, as against 24 in 1930; serious damage was done to plantations at Stanley, where 800 Pines were destroyed and over 1,000 badly damaged by a single fire.
34. No fires occurred on the day of the Ching Ming Festival, and four only on the day of the Chung Yeung Festival. Some days prior to each of the festivals mentioned, propaganda against damage by fire was carried out by means of distribution of handbills and posting of notices in cemeteries.
35. Less than the usual number of hill fires occurred in the New Territories; fires of this nature, particularly those on the slopes of Tai Mo Shan and Lan Tao, destroy a very large number of the local flora and fauna.
36. The majority of both classes of fires appeared to have been caused by the carelessness of grave worshippers and the dropping of lighted matches or tobacco.
37. Taipo Kau Forestry Reserve. The abnormal rainfall of April 20th caused a considerable amount of damage; portions of the tree nursery and all wooden bridges were washed away; several landslides occurred in the vicinity of the access path.
38. Permanent quarters for the staff were built by the Public Works Department; they are a great improvement on the old matshed type of quarters, which were demolished or badly damaged by gales every year.
39. Undergrowth Clearing. In Hong Kong, Kowloon, and the New Territories, the total area cleared in connection with anti-malarial measures was 4,082,910 square feet; other areas were cleared for the purpose of surveys, formation of roads, and building sites.