TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 1980
12
FIRE IS THE BIGGEST THREAT TO COUNTRYSIDE
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FIRE IS WITHOUT DOUBT THE BIGGEST SINGLE THREAT TO THE COUNTRYSIDE IN TERMS OF ITS SCENIC APPEARANCE AND VALUE AS RECREATIONAL RESOURCE FOR THE PEOPLE.
THE SENIOR COUNTRY PARKS OFFICER OF THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT, MR JOHN WHOLEY, SAID THIS AT THE KOWLOON EAST ROTARY CLUB LUNCHEON TODAY (TUESDAY).
ALL HILL FIRES IN HONG KONG, HE SAID, CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO HUMAN CARELESSNESS.
+NATURAL CAUSES OF FIRE SUCH AS LIGHTNING STRIKE AND SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION ARE VIRTUALLY UNKNOWN HERE, HE SAID.
AND AS A WARNING FOR THE COMING CHING MING FESTIVAL, MR WHOLEY SAID THIS WAS ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT SINGLE FACTORS IN THE HILL FIRE PROBLEM.
RELATING IT TO A SIMILAR FESTIVAL - CHUNG YEUNG LAST OCTOBER HE SAID THERE WERE 145 FIRES OVER THE THREE-DAY PERIOD IN THE COUNTRYSIDE.
+OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS, THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF OUTBREAKS OF HILL FIRE HAS EXCEEDED 500 PER ANNUM. IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT ANY ONE OF THESE OUTBREAKS COULD EASILY HAVE DEVELOPED INTO THE SORT OF FIRE WHICH OCCURRED LAST NOVEMBER. THIS BURNT FOR 29 HOURS DAMAGING 500 HECTARES OF LAND AND A QUARTER OF A MILLION OF TREES,+ SAID MR WHOLEY.
HE ADDED THAT HILL FIRE FIGHTING REQUIRED THE CO-ORDINATION OF TEAM WORK. FIRE FIGHTING CREWS OF THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT ATTENDED TO MORE THAN 3 000 FIRES IN THE PAST DECADE AND THIS INCLUDED 400 SINCE LAST OCTOBER.
BUT ASSISTANCE, HE SAID, ALSO CAME FROM THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT, CIVIL AID SERVICES, THE ROYAL HONG KONG AIR FORCE AND THE ROYAL AUXILIARY AIR FORCE (WITH THEIR HELICOPTERS FOR WATER BOMBING).
SNT OPENS PO LEUNG KUK HOLIDAY CAMP ****
THE GOVERNMENT WILL DO ALL IT CAN TO HELP ANY ORGANISATION WITH PRACTICAL PROPOSALS AND SUFFICIENT FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO DEVELOP HOLIDAY CAMPS, SECRETARY FOR NEW TERRITORIES MR DAVID AKERS-JONES SAID TODAY.
HE NOTED THAT, UNTIL QUITE RECENTLY, OPPORTUNITIES FOR GETTING AWAY FROM HOME FOR A FEW DAYS WITHOUT GOING OVERSEAS WERE VIRTUALLY NON-EXISTENT IN HONG KONG.
+NOW THERE ARE MORE THAN 40 HOLIDAY CAMPS, HOSTELS AND YOUTH CENTRES WITH OVERNIGHT STAY FACILITIES, + HE SAID.
/MR AKERS-JONES