SATURDAY; OCTOBER 22, 1977
42 DIED IN FIRE LAST YEAR
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HONG KONG'S FIREMEN COVERED A TOTAL OF NEARLY 2.5 MILLION MILES A DISTANCE 93 TIMES AROUND THE WORLD
TO FIRE AND RESCUE CALLS LAST YEAR.
IN RESPONSE
THERE WERE 9,383 FIRE CALLS LAST YEAR, 2,013 MORE THAN THE PREVIOUS YEAR. THE FIRES CLAIMED A TOLL OF 42 LIVES, AND CAUSED INJURIES TO 587 PEOPLE, INCLUDING 41 FIREMEN.
IN TERMS OF VALUE, THE FIRE LOSSES LAST YEAR, WHICH WERE REPORTED BY INSURANCE COMPANIES BUT EXCLUDING THE UNINSURED LOSSES, AMOUNTED TO $58.5 MILLION.
COMMENTING ON THE INCREASE IN FIRES REPORTED LAST YEAR, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT SAID IT WAS A DISAPPOINTING RETURN FOR THE TIME AND EFFORTS SPENT IN FIRE PREVENTION PUBLICITY BY THE DEPARTMENT IN CONJUNCTION WITH KAIFONGS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS.
HE SAID: +ALTHOUGH THE UNUSUALLY LONG SPELL OF LOW HUMIDITY DURING THE WINTER MONTHS WAS A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IN THE INCREASED INCIDENCE OF FIRES, ESPECIALLY IN THE COUNTRYSIDE, THE MAIN CAUSE IS THE UNIVERSAL OF CARELESSNESS OVER SIMPLE MATTERS.+
HOWEVER, HE NOTED THAT DESPITE THE DENSITY OF POPULATION AND ROAD CONGESTION IN HONG KONG, THE LOSSES IN VALUE AND LIVES ARE STILL BELOW THOSE OF OTHER MAJOR CITIES.
+ THE MAIN REASON FOR THIS REMARKABLE FACT, IS THE SKILL AND DETERMINATION OF HONG KONG FIREMEN AND AMBULANCEMEN WHO FIGHT FIRES AND AID THE SICK AND INJURED THROUGHOUT DAY AND NIGHT UNDER THE MOST APPALLING CONDITIONS IMAGINABLE.+
AS IN THE PAST YEAR, THE LARGEST NUMBER OF FIRES WAS CAUSED BY CARELESS DISPOSAL OF MATCHES AND CIGARETTE ENDS (3,241) AND ELECTRICAL FAULTS (1,632). THE TWO CAUSES ALONE ACCOUNTED FOR NEARLY 52 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL FIRE CALLS.
THE SERVICE RESPONDED TO ANOTHER 344 FIRES, INVOLVING OVER- TURNED KEROSENE STOVES, 311 FIRES BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY CHILDREN PLAYING WITH MATCHES, AND 246 FIRES RESULTED FROM UNATTENDED COOKING STOVES.
JANUARY WAS THE BUSIEST MONTH WHEN FIREMEN DEALT WITH 1,454 CALLS, FOLLOWED BY NOVEMBER WITH 1,086 CALLS.
DURING THE YEAR UNDER REVIEW, THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT HANDLED 3,574 SPECIAL SERVICE CALLS, INCLUDING TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS, PEOPLE TRAPPED OR SHUT IN LIFTS, DROWNINGS, HANGINGS AND OTHER MISHAPS. A TOTAL OF 316 PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND 1,349 PEOPLE WERE INJURED IN THESE ACCIDENTS.
THE DEPARTMENT, IN ITS EFFORTS TO IMPROVE CONTINUOUSLY ITS EFFICIENCY IN FIRE-FIGHTING, HAS ACQUIRED 25 ADDITIONAL OR REPLACEMENT APPLIANCES AND UNITS OF VARIOUS KINDS DURING THE YEAR. AMONG THE MORE IMPORTANT ONES IT RECEIVED WAS THE VERSATILE, 91-FOOT ELEVATED PLATFORM WHICH PROVED TO BE VERY VALUABLE IN SAVING MANY LIVES.