10
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1986
COUNTRY PARKS TO REMAIN CLOSED
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THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED TODAY (SUNDAY) THAT THE TAI LAM, TAI MO SHAN AND SHING MUN COUNTRY PARKS AND TAI PO KAU NATURE RESERVE WOULD REMAIN CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
THE BAN ON BARBECUING IN ALL OTHER COUNTRY PARKS WILL STAY IN FORCE AT THE SAME TIME.
THE PARKS WERE CLOSED AND THE FIRE BAN IMPOSED ON JANUARY 11 BECAUSE OF EXTREMELY HIGH FIRE RISK.
FOLLOWING A REVIEW OF THE CURRENT FIRE SITUATION AND THE LONG RANGE WEATHER FORECAST, A DECISION WAS RECENTLY TAKEN TO CONTINUE WITH THESE CONTROL MEASURES TO PREVENT FURTHER FIRE DAMAGE TO PARK PLANTATIONS.
A DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID: +IN VIEW OF THE CONTINUING HIGH FIRE RISK AND THE FACT THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO MEASURABLE RAINFALL IN THE PAST 50 DAYS, A SPECIAL ACTION PLAN HAS BEEN DRAWN UP AMONG THE DEPARTMENT, THE FIRE SERVICES AND THE CIVIL AID SERVICES TO PROTECT THE COUNTRY PARKS DURING THE LUNAR NEW YEAR PERIOD AND ON PUBLIC HOLIDAYS AND SUNDAYS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FIRE SEASON.
+PREVENTIVE MEASURES TO BE TAKEN INCLUDE MORE FREQUENT PATROLS BY PARK WARDENS AND CAS MEMBERS, AND THE DEPLOYMENT OF MORE AFD AND CAS PERSONNEL AND MORE FSD APPLIANCES ON STANDBY DUTY DURING THE HOLIDAY PERIOD.+
IN ADDITION, THE SPOKESMAN SAID, TEMPORARY WATER TANKS WOULD BE SET UP AT STRATEGIC LOCATIONS IN THE VULNERABLE PARKS TO FACILITATE FIRE FIGHTING.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT SINCE THE COMING INTO EFFECT OF THE CLOSURE ORDER AND THE FIRE BAN, THERE HAD BEEN A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN THE NUMBER OF FIRES IN COUNTRY PARKS - FROM 45 IN THE WEEK PRECEDING THE SHING MUN FIRE ON JANUARY 8 AND 9 TO ONLY SIX LAST WEEK.
DESPITE THE IMPROVEMENT, HE SAID, THE FIRE TOLL SO FAR THIS FIRE SEASON HAD FAR EXCEEDED THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S RECORD AND THE DAMAGE DONE WAS THE WORST IN 10 YEARS.
SINCE THE START OF THE FIRE SEASON LAST SEPTEMBER, THE DEPARTMENT HAS RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 824 REPORTS OF HILL FIRE, OF WHICH 241 WERE INSIDE OR THREATENED COUNTRY PARKS. THESE FIRES DAMAGED MORE THAN 515 000 TREES AND 4 650 HECTARES OF GRASSLAND.
IN THE LAST FIRE SEASON, ONLY 68 000 TREES AND 798 HECTARES OF GRASSLAND WERE AFFECTED IN 480 HILL FIRES INCLUDING 159 INSIDE COUNTRY PARKS.
/THE SPOKESMAN