XN000022-1980-11-11 — Page 4

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1980

DURING THE 12-MONTH PERIOD ENDED SEPTEMBER 1980, THERE WERE 10 271 FIRES, RESULTING IN 704 INJURIES AND 36 DEATHS. MONETARY LOSSES AMOUNTED TO MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

+THEY WERE VERY COSTLY, NOT ONLY IN TERMS OF DOLLARS, BUT IN TERMS OF THE IRRETRIEVABLE LOSS OF LIVES AND BODILY INJURIES, HE SAID.

MR LAM NOTED THAT HONG KONG HAD ITS UNIQUE FIRE RISKS OWING TO ITS CROWDED ENVIRONMENT AND THE GENERAL APATHETIC ATTITUDE TOWARDS FIRE PREVENTION.

+FIRE ACCIDENTS ARE EVERYBODY'S BUSINESS AND THEY CAN HAPPEN TO ANYBODY THROUGH NEGLIGENCE AND CARELESSNESS.

+F IRE PREVENTION IS FOR EVERYONE, MR LAM STRESSED.

MR LAM POINTED OUT THAT NO BUILDING IN ANY CITY COULD BE ABSOLUTELY FIRE SAFE AND IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO PREVENT ALL FIRES. +WHAT CAN AND SHOULD BE DONE IS TO TAKE THE APPROPRIATE MEASURES TO REDUCE ITS OCCURRENCE.

+BY SO DOING, EVEN IF A FIRE TAKES PLACE, THE MEASURES MAY LESSEN THE DANGER IN SOME CASES AND PREVENT THEM FROM BECOMING A DISASTER, HE ADDED.

THE MOST COMMON CAUSES OF FIRE IN ORDER OF FREQUENCY ARE: CARELESS HANDLING OR DISPOSAL OF CIGARETTE ENDS OR HOT ASHES- ELECTRICAL FAULTS OVERTURNING OF KEROSENE STOVES OR OIL LAMPS- OVERHEATING OF ENGINES, MOTOR AND MACHINERY CARELESS HANDLING OR DISPOSAL OF JOSS STICKS AND CANDLES CHILDREN PLAYING WITH MATCHES, AND DEFECTIVE LP GAS APPARATUS.

MR LAM SAID THAT MUCH OF THIS YEAR'S PUBLICITY WOULD BE AIMED AT INFORMING THE PUBLIC OF WAYS TO PREVENT FIRES AND THE DIRE EFFECTS OF FIRES.

THERE WOULD BE FIRE PREVENTION POSTERS, STICKERS AND LEAFLETS AS WELL AS PUBLICITY FILMS ON TELEVISION.

THE CAMPAIGN WOULD BE FURTHER SUPPLEMENTED BY COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES, SUCH AS FIRE PREVENTION QUIZ COMPETITIONS AMONG SCHOOLS- FIRE PREVENTION FILM SHOWS VISITS TO FIRE STATIONS- EXHIBITIONS, AND A FACTORY FIRE SAFETY CAMPAIGN.

SENIOR COUNTRY PARKS, OFFICER OF THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT, MR K.C. IU, SPOKE OF COUNTRYSIDE FIRES.

MR IU POINTED OUT THAT THE ANNUAL AVERAGE NUMBER OF HILL FIRES OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS HAD BEEN ABOUT 500 AND LAST YEAR WAS WORSE WITH A TOTAL OF 935 FIRES REPORTED.

BECAUSE OF THE HEAVY OUTBREAK OF HILL FIRES LAST NOVEMBER, SEVERAL COUNTRY PARKS HAD TO BE CLOSED, RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO ALL, HE SAID.

+THE COUNTRY PARKS AUTHORITY, TOGETHER WITH THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND THE CIVIL AID SERVICES, HAVE BEEN CONSTANTLY IMPROVING AND STRENGTHENING THEIR CAPABILITIES TO DEAL WITH FIRES IN THE CCOUNT 13100.

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