XN000022-1975-02-27 — Page 7

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1975.

UP GO FIRE FIGURES

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DUE TO THE PROLONGED SPELL OF VERY DRY WEATHER THE AVERAGE DAILY NUMBER OF FIRES HAS GONE UP FROM 18 DURING THE FIRST SIX WEEKS OF THE YEAR TO 23 FOR THE PAST TWO WEEKS.

A FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THERE WERE 806 FIRES BETWEEN JANUARY 1 AND FEBRUARY 13. FROM THEN ON THE LEVEL OF HUMIDITY DROPPED SHARPLY RESULTING IN 296 FIRES DURING THE 13-DAY PERIOD FEBRUARY 14 AND 26,

+LAST WEEKEND ALONE, HE SAID, THERE WERE 89 FIRES AND 69 ON THE PRECEDING TWO DAYS. THE COMING WEEKEND COULD SEE SIMILAR FIGURES IF PRESENT WEATHER CONDITIONS PERSIST.+

HE SAID THE UPSURGE IN THE NUMBER OF FIRES OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKS HAD REVERSED THE PREVIOUS TREND WHICH HAD BEEN DOWNWARDS BY ABOUT 20 PER CENT COMPARED WITH THE SAME PERIOD OF 1974.

HE ATTRIBUTED THE INCREASE+LARGELY TO CARELESSNESS AND FAILURE TO TAKE PRECAUTIONS TO DEAL WITH THE INCREASED FIRE DANGER BROUGHT ABOUT BY MUCH DRIER WEATHER,

HE URGED SMOKERS TO BE SPECIALLY CAREFUL AT THE PRESENT TIME AND APPEALED TO THOSE PLANNING TO VISIT THE COUNTRYSIDE THIS WEEKEND TO DO ALL THEY CAN TO PREVENT CAUSING FIRE.

BARBECUES SHOULD BE HELD. IN AREAS WHICH HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED FOR THIS PURPOSE BY THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT. CAMP FIRES MUST BE CONTROLLED ALL THE TIME AND PROPERLY EXTINGUISHED BEFORE DEPARTURE.

HE REMINDED THE PUBLIC THAT TWO RECENT FIRES HAD RESULTED IN MORE THAN 1,100 PEOPLE LOSING THEIR HOMES.

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