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MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1977
CAMPAIGN TO REDUCE HILL FIRES
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THE GOVERNMENT TODAY LAUNCHED A COUNTRYSIDE FIRE PREVENTION CAMPAIGN AIMED AT REDUCING THE HIGH LOSS OF FOREST RESERVES OVER THE COMING DRY SEASON.
SPEAKING AT A PRESS CONFERENCE, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES (CONSERVATION AND COUNTRY PARKS) MR. MARTIN LEWIS, DISCLOSED THAT THE PRINCIPAL TARGETS OF THE CAMPAIGN ARE GRAVE VISITORS, PICNICKERS AND VILLAGERS.
HE SAID THAT THE 1,212 HILL FIRES RECORDED DURING THE LAST DRY SEASON DESTROYED MORE THAN 922,000 TREES OVER AN AREA OF 1,188 HECTARES (ABOUT 3,000 ACRES).
+ALMOST HALF OF THESE FIRES OCCURRED DURING WEEKENDS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS AND MORE THAN 80 FIRES BROKE OUT DURING THE CHUNG YEUNG AND CHING MING FESTIVALS,+ MR. LEWIS POINTED CUT,
+CLEARLY WE CANNOT AFFORD TO LET THIS SITUATION CONTINUE, + HE WARNED.
HE CALLED ON THE PUBLIC TO CO-OPERATE IN HELPING PREVENT FIRE OUTBREAKS IF THEY ARE TO CONTINUE TO ENJOY THE BENEFITS THE COUNTRYSIDE PROVIDES,
IN VIEW OF THE COMING CHUNG YEUNG FESTIVAL, WHICH MAY PROVE TO BE A PARTICULARLY BAD DAY FOR HILL FIRES, SPÉCIAL PUBLICITY MEASURES WILL BE INTRODUCED TO WARN GRAVE VISITORS AGAINST THE DANGER. THESE WILL INCLUDE BROADCASTS BEAMED FROM AN AIRCRAFT OF THE ROYAL HONG KONG AUXILIARY AIR FORCE FLYING OVER THE VARIOUS GRAVE SITES LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE NEW TERRITORIES.
PICNICKERS ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO FIRE STATISTICS AND THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT HAS PLANS TO INCREASE THE STRENGTH OF THEIR PATROLS ON THE GROUND SO AS TO CHECK THAT PICNICKERS ABIDE BY THE LAWS AGAINST LIGHTING FIRES IN HIGH RISK' AREAS.
MR. LEWIS INDICATED THAT HIS STAFF WILL SHORTLY BE EMPOWERED TO SERVE NOTICES ON PEOPLE WHO LIGHT FIRES IN UNAUTHORISED AREAS WITHIN COUNTRY PARKS.
+UNDER THE COUNTRY PARKS REGULATIONS,+ HE SAID, +A PERSON CAN BE FINED UP TO $5,000 AND SENTENCED TO ONE YEAR'S IMPRISONMENT FOR THIS OFFENCE.+
IN ORDER TO PUT THE CAMPAIGN MESSAGE ACROSS TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE, POSTERS APPEALING TO PICNIC PARTIES TO TAKE EXTRA CARE TC PREVENT FIRE WILL BE PUT UP AT SUITABLE SITES, CONCENTRATED PARTICULARLY AROUND THE MAIK PUBLIC TRANSPORT ROUTES TO THE NEW TERRITORIES.
/THEY WILL BE