TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1975
FIRE DANGER EVERYONE MUST PLAY HIS PART OVER HOLIDAYS 243 24 25 2**
A FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN TODAY CALLED ON MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO TAKE EXTRA FIRE PRECAUTIONS DURING THE CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR HOLIDAYS.
HE SAID THAT SPECIAL ATTENTION SHOULD BE PAID TO ALL FESTIVE DECORATIONS.
+CHECK CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING SETS, ELECTRIC CANDLES AS WELL AS EXTENSION CORDS FOR FRAYED WIRES, LOOSE CONNECTIONS AND BROKEN SOCKETS,+ HE URGED,
+ALL ILLUMINATIONS SHOULD BE TURNED OFF BEFORE GOING OUT OR TURNING IN.+
THE SPOKESMAN ADVISED THE USE OF NON-COMBUSTIBLE DECORATING MATERIALS TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE. USING WAX CANDLES TO DECORATE A CHRISTMAS TREE WAS HIGHLY DANGEROUS, HE STRESSED.
SMALL CHILDREN PLAYING NEAR CHRISTMAS TREES SHOULD BE SUPERVISED AND MATCHES, LIGHTERS AND CANDLES SHOULD DE KEPT WELL OUT OF THEIR REACH.
MEANWHILE, PICNICKERS ARE WARNED NOT TO LIGHT FIRES ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRYSIDE EXCEPT IN PROPER BARBECUE GRILLS PROVIDED BY THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT,
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS AN OFFENCE TO START A FIRE CARELESSLY ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRYSIDE. OFFENDERS ARE LIABLE TO A FINE OF $2,000 AND IMPRISONMENT FOR ONE YEAR.
DURING THE WEEKEND, MORE THAN 360 ACRES OF 20 TO 30-YEAR-OLD PINE AND HARDWOOD PLANTATIONS VERE DESTROYED IN THREE MAJOR FIRES IN TAI LAM CHUNG AND TAI PO KAU. SOME 100 FORESTRY FIREFIGHTERS DRAVED RUGGED TERRAIN AND STRONG WINDS TO BATTLE THE FIRES, BUT DEFORE THEY SUCCEEDED, EXTENSIVE DAMAGE HAD ALREADY DEEN DONE.
SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE CURRENT DRY SEASON, THE DEPARTMENT HAS RECORDED OVER 300 HILL FIRES, OF WHICH 55 WERE IN THE FORESTED AREAS. SOME FOUR SQUARE MILES OF HILL LAND WERE AFFECTED AND OVER A QUARTER OF A MILLION TREES WERE DAMAGED.
+THE REPLANTING OF THESE AREAS REQUIRES LARGE SUMS OF MONEY, EFFORT AND TIME, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
/HE GAVE