XN000022-1972-12-30 — Page 2

Saturday, December 30, 1972

DROP IN HILL FIRES IN PAST SIX MONTHS

Picnickers Urged To Be Careful With Fire

The number of hill fires during the months of July to December

this year showed a remarkable drop of about 70 per cent compared

with the same period last year.

Statistics released by the Conservation and Forests Division

of the Agriculture and Fisheries Department showed that the number of

hill fires in the past six months amounted to 151, while the number

for the same period last year was 497.

Of the 151 hill fires, 14 cases occurred in the 6ilver Jubilee

Reservoir and the Tai Lam Chung Government forests, and some 3,900 trees

were destroyed within the Government plantations.

The rest of the hill fires occurred in village woodlands in the

New Territories. Over 500 trees were damaged.

Fire protection services of the Conservation and Forests Division

are concentrated on the "Fire Protection Area" which covers most of

Hong Kong Island, parts of Lantau Island, and the southern hill range of

the New Territories.

The Australian method of reducing fire hazard by means of controlled

burning of grass and shrubs along roads has been tried in all district

and has proved to be successful.

Forestry protection posts and fire lookouts with officers on guard

24 hours are set up in all Government plantations.

/Hong Kong's