XN000022-1972-10-09 — Page 2

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Monday, October 9, 1972

They will also be displayed at all major ferry terminals, Fire

Services and other major public buildings and by announcements or displays

at a number of public places such as cinemas.

The spokesman said the new system should be treated with as

great a respect as Hong Kong's tropical cyclone warning signals.

The threat of death and damage by fire is at least as great

as the danger posed by a typhoon. The risk is particularly strong because

of the big concentration of population and buildings.

He said the most important weather condition which has a direct

bearing on fires is the humidity level.

During the autumn and winter months, the humidity in Hong Kong

falls off sharply and everything that will burn -- indoors or outdoors

dries out.

The situation is aggravated by the number of dry days and the

amount of sunshine at the time.

In these circumstances, a fire will start very easily.

The spokesman compared the fire risk in the hot and cold months.

In the summer months, he said, when the average humidity is

normally above 80 per cent, the Fire Services Department puts out an average

of 240 fires a month.

In the winter, when the average humidity falls to 65 per cent,

they will be called to some 750 fires.

/As the