XN000022-1974-10-07 — Page 4

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1974

FIRE RATE RISING: WARNS FIRE SERVICES SPOKESMAN

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THE AVERAGE DAILY NUMBER OF FIRES HAS GONE UP FROM 14 IN SEPTEMBER TO ALMOST 19 TO DATE THIS MONTH, A FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN WARNED TODAY.

HE SAID THAT DURING THE FIRST SIX DAYS OF OCTOBER THERE HAD BEEN 115 FIRES, CLOSE TO HALF OF WHICH HAD OCCURRED LAST WEEKEND. THERE WERE 421 FIRES IN SEPTEMBER.

+THIS RISE IS MOST DISAPPOINTING,+ HE STATED, +AT A TIME WHEN WE ARE URGING THE POPULATION TO BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL BECAUSE OF THE DRY WEATHER.+

HE ADDED: +MOST FIRES ARE ATTRIBUTABLE TO HUMAN NEGLIGENCE AND THEREFORE AVOIDABLE.+

HE SAID PEOPLE'S HABITS, SUCH AS THROWING LIGHTED CIGARETTE ENDS AND MATCHES AWAY WITHOUT THOUGHT, ALTHOUGH ANTI-SOCIAL, VERE LESS LIKELY TO CAUSE FIRES DURING THE WET SEASON, BUT WITH THE ARRIVAL OF LOW HUMIDITY, EVEN THE SMALLEST SPARK COULD LEAD TO FIRE.

+ IF THE ONE HABIT WERE DISCONTINUED,+ HE DECLARED, THERE WOULD BE 40 PER CENT LESS FIRES IN HONG KONG.+

HE APPEALED TO SMOKERS TO MAKE SURE CIGARETTE BUTTS AND MATCHES WERE PROPERLY OUT BEFORE DISPOSING OF THEM.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID ANOTHER MAJOR CAUSE OF FIRE IN HONG KONG WAS ELECTRICAL FAULTS, MANY OF WHICH WERE ATTRIBUTABLE TO OVERLOADING OF SOCKETS WITH TOO MANY APPLIANCES OR NEGLECTING TO KEEP APPLIANCES AND WIRING PROPERLY MAINTAINED.

HE APPEALED TO PICNICKERS AND OTHER VISITORS TO THE COUNTRYSIDE TO BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL DURING THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, PARTICULARLY IF THEY HAVE BARBECUES. +CHOOSE A SENSIBLE AREA TO BUILD A BARBECUE FIRE,+ THE SPOKESMAN SAID, +AND MAKE SURE SOMEONE IS WATCHING IT ALL THE TINE. WHEN YOU LEAVE THE AREA, PUT IT OUT WITH WATER AND EARTH, A SMALL EMBER LEFT BURNING COULD EASILY RESULT IN A BIG FIRE.+

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE PEAK DANGER PERIOD LASTS FROM OCTOBER TO APPROXIMATELY CHINESE NEW YEAR, AND WAS DUE TO THE SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THE LEVEL OF HUMIDITY. DURING THE PERIOD, HE SAID, +FIRE IS FROM TWO TO FIVE TIMES MORE LIKELY THAN DURING THE NON-PEAK PERIOD.+

THE SPOKESMAN REMINDED THE PUBLIC OF WHAT THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF FIRE SERVICES, MR. FRED WATSON, SAID RECENTLY THAT 1974 COULD TURN OUT TO BE ONE OF THE WORST FIRE YEARS ON RECORD AND SAID THE PROBLEM WAS GREATER BECAUSE OF THE WATER SITUATION. +EVERYONE MUST BE FIRE PREVENTION CONSCIOUS,+ HE STATED.

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