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MONDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1975
BE DOUBLY CAREFUL WITH FIRES DURING DRY SPELL
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A FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN TODAY AGAIN WARNED THE PUBLIC OF THE +GREATLY INCREASED+ CHANCES OF FIRE DURING THE CURRENT DRY SPELL.
HE SAID THAT SINCE THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS BEGAN LAST THURSDAY, THERE HAD BEEN 276 FIRES, OF WHICH 173 WERE GRASS FIRES. OF THE 93 FIRES REPORTED IN A SINGLE DAY YESTERDAY, 66 WERE GRASS FIRES.
+THIS SITUATION IS MOST DISAPPOINTING,+ HE SAID, +AT A TIME WHEN WE ARE URGING THE PUBLIC TO BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL BECAUSE OF THE DRIER WEATHER.+
HE POINTED OUT THAT THROUGH CARELESSNESS ON THE PART OF PICNICKERS AND HIKERS, THOUSANDS OF TREES WERE DESTROYED AND LARGE AREAS OF COUNTRYSIDE LAID TO WASTE.
+THROWING LIGHTED CIGARETTE ENDS AND MATCHES AWAY WITHOUT ANY THOUGHT, AND CARELESSNESS WITH BARDECUE FIRES ARE TWO MAJOR CAUSES OF RURAL FIRES, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
HE APPEALED TO PICNICKERS AND OTHER VISITORS TO THE COUNTRYSIDE TO BE CAREFUL PARTICULARLY IF THEY HELD BARBECUE PARTIES.
+CHOOSE AN AREA SET ASIDE FOR THIS PURPOSE BY THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT AND MAKE SURE THAT SOMEONE IS WATCHING THE FIRE ALL THE TIME. WHEN YOU LEAVE, PUT IT OUT WITH WATER AND EARTH.+
THE SPOKESMAN ALSO POINTED OUT THAT MANY OF THE FIRES WERE ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE BURNING OF RUBBISH BY VILLAGERS ON OPEN GROUND. HE SAID: +AT A TIME WHEN THE HUMIDITY IS SO LOW THIS IS MOST DANGEROUS BECAUSE THE SMALLEST SPARK COULD LEAD TO A FIRE.+
+UNLESS THE PUBLIC IS ON ITS GUARD AND IS PREPARED TO TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS THERE WILL BE MORE FIRES.+
+FURTHERMORE, HE SAID, THE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF GRASS FIRES WILL SERIOUSLY HAMPER THE FIRE FIGHTING CAPABILITIES OF THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT SHOULD FIRES OCCUR AT THE SAME TIME IN MULTI-STOREY BUILDINGS WHERE LIVES ARE AT STAKE.+
/HE REITERATED