XN000022-1979-10-19 — Page 6

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1979

COUNTRYSIDE FIRE RISK HIGH

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VISITORS TO THE COUNTRYSIDE THIS YEAR ARE URGED TO BE EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS ABOUT ANY SOURCE OF FIRE OUTBREAKS, AND IN PARTICULAR, DURING THE CHUNG YEUNG FESTIVAL.

+THIS IS BECAUSE THE WINTER THIS YEAR IS PREDICTED TO BE VERY DRY, AND THE RISK OF FIRE OUTBREAKS IS HIGH, THE COUNTRY PARKS PROTECTION OFFICER, MR. CHONG SING-LAI SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).

MR. CHONG STRESSED THAT UNLESS THERE WAS FULL PUBLIC CO-OPERATION IN THE CONTROL OF FIRES, THE COUNTRYSIDE COULD BE RAZED SIMILAR TO THE 1976/77 DEVASTATION WHEN MORE THAN 1 100 000 TREES IN GOVERNMENT PLANTATIONS AND MANAGEMENT AREAS WERE DESTROYED.

DURING THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF THIS MONTH, MORE THAN 37 000 TREES HAD BEEN DESTROYED BY FIRE IN COUNTRY PARKS AND PLANTATIONS, HE SAID. DURING THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR, ABOUT 17 000 TREES WERE DESTROYED.

+EXPERIENCE SHOWS THAT 60 PER CENT OF COUNTRYSIDE FIRES OCCUR DURING SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS, PARTICULARLY DURING THE CHUNG YEUNG AND CHING MING FESTIVALS AT GRAVEYARDS,+ MR, CHONG SAID.

HE SAID THAT ALTHOUGH CHUNG YEUNG FESTIVAL THIS YEAR FALLS ON OCTOBER 29, MANY PEOPLE VISIT THE GRAVEYARDS ONE WEEK BEFORE AND ONE WEEK AFTER THE FESTIVAL.

+DURING THESE TWO WEEKS, GRAVEYARD VISITORS MUST EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION BY NOT LEAVING ANY JOSS STICKS OR PAPER BURNING UNATTENDED, MR. CHONG URGED.

+WHEN SOME IRRESPONSIBLE PEOPLE HAVE A COMPLETE DISREGARD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THEY LIVE, THE COST OF DESTRUCTION AND THE MANPOWER EMPLOYED IN FIGHTING FIRES, THE LOSS OF WILDLIFE AND POSSIBLY HUMAN LIFE CAN NEVER BE MEASURED, HE SAID.

MR. CHONG DISCLOSED THAT MORE THAN 400 STAFF OF THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT WILL BE ON STAND-BY DURING THE CHUNG YEUNG FESTIVAL PERIOD TO TACKLE ANY COUNTRYSIDE FIRE.

MEANWHILE, A +CONTROLLED BURNING+ DEMONSTRATION WAS HELD TODAY AT THE COUNTRY PARKS MANAGEMENT CENTRE AT ROUTE TWISK TO EXPLAIN TO THE PUBLIC THROUGH THE MEDIA THE SERIOUSNESS OF COUNTRYSIDE FIRES.

DURING THE DEMONSTRATION, FIRE CREWS FROM THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT USED DIFFERENT TYPES OF APPARATUS TO COMBAT THE FIRE. HELICOPTERS FROM THE ROYAL AIR FORCE AND THE ROYAL HONG KONG AUXILIARY AIR FORCE ALSO TOOK PART IN THE DEMONSTRATION BY WATER BOMBING FROM THE AIR.

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