XN000022-1975-01-08 — Page 12

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 1975

FIRES DOWN 16 PER CENT IN 1974

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THE NUMBER OF FIRE CALLS RECEIVED BY THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT IN 1974 WAS 6,971, A DECREASE OF 1,385 CALLS (OR 16.6 PER CENT) COMPARED WITH THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

TODAY.

THESE FIGURES WERE RELEASED BY THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT

DESPITE THE SUBSTANTIAL DROP, WHICH A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT DESCRIBED AS ÷OBVIOUSLY WELCOME+, MONETARY LOSSES FROM FIRE LAST YEAR, AT ALMOST $50 MILLION, WERE NOT SIGNIFICANTLY DOWN ON THE FIGURE OF $51.8 MILLLION. FOR 1973. TUIS INDICATES,+ STATED THE SPOKESMAN, THAT, LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE, THE COST OF HAVING A FIRE IS GOING UP.+

AS IN PREVIOUS YEARS, THE MAIN CAUSES OF FIRE WERE CARELESS HANDLING OR DISPOSAL OF CIGARETTE ENDS AND MATCHES (1,685 FIRES) AND ELECTRICAL FAULTS (1,183 FIRES). TOGETHER THESE TWO CAUSES ACCOUNTED FOR 41 PER CENT OF ALL FIRES IN HONG KONG IN 1974. THERE WERE 377 INDUSTRIAL FIRES, COSTING A TOTAL OF $38 MILLION. THIS MEANS THAT ALTHOUGH ONLY 5.4 PER CENT OF FIRES OCCURRED IN THIS SECTOR, THEY ACCOUNTED FOR 76 PER CENT OF THE LOSSES. TEN FIRES COST MORE THAN $1 MILLION THE MOST EXPENSIVE FİRE OCCURRED LAST JANUARY IN A TEXTILE MILL AT TSUEN WAN AND COST AN ESTIMATED $11 MILLION.

TWENTY-FIVE PEOPLE DIES AS A RESULT OF FIRE AND 417, INCLUDING 33 FIREMEN, WERE INJURED.

A TOTAL OF 1,565 GRASS FIRES WAS REPORTED DURING THE YEAR AND THERE WERE 34 SHIP FIRES.

THE BUSIEST MONTH FOR FIREMEN WAS JANUARY, WHEN 1,000 CALLS WERE DEALT WITH, FOLLLOWED BY OCTOBER (723 GALLS). OF THE 6,971 FIRE CALLS, 1,475 WERE FALSE ALARM, 5,311 FIRST ALARM, 137 SECOND ALARM, 42 THIRD ALARM AND SIX FOURTHI ALARM. THERE WERE NO FIFTH OR DISASTER ALARMS.

THE DIRECTOR OF FIRE SERVICES, MR. HARRY WOOD, SAID THAT, ALTHOUGH THERE HAD BEEN A 16 PER CENT DROP IN THE NUMBER OF FIRES REPORTED IN 1974, THERE WAS NO ROOM FOR COMPLACENCY. +THERE IS TOO MUCH OF THIS 'FIRE CAN NEVER HAPPEN TO ME FEELING IN HONG KONG, HE STATED.

HE STATED. +FIRE CAN STRIKE ANYWHERE, AT ANY TIME, WHEN IT IS LEAST EXPECTED. AND IF YOU ARE UNFORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE A FIRE, REMEMBER THAT IT IS BECOMING AN INCREASINGLY

COSTLY BUSINESS.+

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