XN000022-1975-02-17 — Page 7

FEWER FIRES

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BUT NO ROOM FOR COMPLACENCY

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TIJE DOWNWARD TREND IN THE NUMBER OF FIRES DURING 1974 IS CONTINUING INTO 1975.

ACCORDING TO A SPOKESMAN FOR THE FINE SERVICES DEPARTMENT, DURING THE FIRST SEVEN WEEKS OF THIS YEAR THERE WERE A TOTAL OF BAD FIRES COMPARED WITH 1,051 FOR THE SAME PERIOD OF 1974. THIS REPRESENTS A REDUCTION OF 20 PER CENT,

WHILE THIS IS ENCOURAGING, THE SPOKESMAN NOTED THAT REGENT FIRE STATISTICS SHOW THAT A YEAR WITH LESS FIRES USUALLY IS FOLLOWED BY ONE WITH A BIG INCREASE IN FIRES. +SO THERE IS NOT THE SLIGHTEST CAUSE OF COMPLACENCY DECAUSE OF THE FIGURES,❖ HE STRESSED.

THE UNDERLYING TREND IN FIRES WAS VERY DEFINITELY UPWARDS THERE HAD BEEN A VIRTUAL QUADRUPLING IN TEN YEARS -- AND 1974 SHOULD DE REGARDED AS A FREAK YEAR IN WHICH UNSEASONAL HEATHER HAD PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN BRINGING ADOUT THE REDUCTION, HE ADDED.

*DESPITE THE CURRENT DECREASE, THEREFORE, NO ONE SHOULD RELAX HIS GUARD BUT RATHER TAKE EVĚRY PRECAUTION TO PREVENT FIRE, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

HE REMINDED THE PUBLIC THAT ABOUT HALF THE FIRES IN HONG KONG VERE CAUSED EITHER BY CARELESS DISPOSAL OF LIGHTED CIGARETTE ENDS AND MATCHES OR DY ELECTRICAL FAULTS.

ADVISORY LEAFLETS ON ELECTRICAL SAFETY AND SMOKERS' CARELESS- NESS WERE NOW DEING PREPARED AND SHOULD BE READY FOR THE FIRE PREVENTION CAMPAIGN TO DE HELD LATER IN THE YEAR.

WEEKLY WATER SITUATION REPORT ******

THE TOTAL WATER STORAGE IN ALL RESERVOIRS AS AT 9 A.M. TODAY (MONDAY) STOOD AT 50,253 MILLION GALLONS, REPRESENTING 74.07 PER CENT OF THE FULL CAPACITY OF 67,300 MILLION GALLONS. AT THIS TIME LAST YEAR THERE WERE 45,712 MILLION GALLONS IN STORE.

THIS MORNING'S STORAGE AT PLOVER COVE WAS 38,138 MILLION GALLONS, COMPARED WITH 35,964 MILLION GALLONS ON THE SAME DAY LAST YEAR. PLOVER COVE'S PRESENT STORAGE REPRESENTS 75.5 PER CENT OF ITS FULL CAPACITY OF 50,500 MILLION GALLONS.

A TRACE OF RAINFALL WAS RECORDED AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY DURING THE PAST 24 HOURS ENDING AT 9 A.M. TODAY. TOTAL RAINFALL RECORDED SO FAR THIS YEAR IS 71.3 MM (2.81 IN).

THE MEAN AVERAGE RAINFALL SINCE JANUARY 1 STANDS AT 50.4 MM (2.30 IN).