Saturday, December 30, 1972
DROP IN HILL FIRES IN PAST SIX MONTHS
Picnickers Urged To Be Careful With Fire
The number of hill fires during the months of July to December
this year showed a remarkable drop of about 70 per cent compared
with the same period last year.
Statistics released by the Conservation and Forests Division
of the Agriculture and Fisheries Department showed that the number of
hill fires in the past six months amounted to 151, while the number
for the same period last year was 497.
Of the 151 hill fires, 14 cases occurred in the 6ilver Jubilee
Reservoir and the Tai Lam Chung Government forests, and some 3,900 trees
were destroyed within the Government plantations.
The rest of the hill fires occurred in village woodlands in the
New Territories. Over 500 trees were damaged.
Fire protection services of the Conservation and Forests Division
are concentrated on the "Fire Protection Area" which covers most of
Hong Kong Island, parts of Lantau Island, and the southern hill range of
the New Territories.
The Australian method of reducing fire hazard by means of controlled
burning of grass and shrubs along roads has been tried in all district
and has proved to be successful.
Forestry protection posts and fire lookouts with officers on guard
24 hours are set up in all Government plantations.
/Hong Kong's