XN000022-1981-09-30 — Page 7

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1981

- 6.

WARNING ON FESTIVAL FIRE HAZARD

****

WITH THE CHUNG YEUNG FESTIVAL ONLY A WEEK AWAY, THE PUBLIC ARE ADVISED TO TAKE SPECIAL CARE NOT TO CAUSE ANY COUNTRYSIDE FIRES.

LAST YEAR, 51 HILL FIRES WERE REPORTED ON THE CHUNG YEUNG FESTIVAL DAY ALONE, DAMAGING 31.4 HECTARES OF LAND AND DESTROYING 260 TREES, ACCORDING TO STATISTICS RELEASED BY THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT.

+THE CARELESS BURNING OF ARTICLES AT GRAVE SITES HAS ALWAYS BEEN A MAJOR CAUSE OF HILL FIRES DURING THE FESTIVAL, BUT MANY OF THESE DISASTERS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE GRAVE-WORSHIPPERS HAD OBSERVED A FEW SIMPLE RULES,+ A SPOKESMAN FOR THE FIRE PREVENTION PUBLICITY WORKING GROUP SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

HE URGED GRAVE-WORSHIPPERS NOT TO LEAVE LIGHTED CANDLES, JOSS STICKS AND JOSS PAPERS UNATTENDED AND TO MAKE SURE TO PUT THEM OUT PROPERLY BEFORE LEAVING THE GRAVE SITES.

+AT THE FIRST SIGN OF A FIRE, RAISE THE ALARM AT ONCE,+ HE ADDED.

AS PART OF GOVERNMENT'S INTENSIFIED EFFORTS TO PREVENT HILL FIRES DURING THE FESTIVAL, A POSTER ON THE ABOVE THEME HAS BEEN PUT UP AT VARIOUS SITES IN HONG KONG, KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES.

SPECIAL BROADCASTS WILL BE MOUNTED AT REGULAR INTERVALS AT THE HUNG HOM TERMINUS, SHA TIN, FANLING AND SHEUNG SHUI STATIONS OF THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY, URGING GRAVE SITE VISITORS TO BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL IN THE IR WORSHIPPING RITUALS.

+THROUGH THE BROADCASTS, PICNICKERS WILL ALSO BE REMINDED OF THE NEED TO OBSERVE THE COUNTRY CODE.+

IN ADDITION, THE MOBILE FILM TEAM OF THE INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN BROADCASTING FIRE PREVENTION MESSAGES AT FERRY PIERS AND BUS TERMINALS IN THE URBAN AREAS.

IN RURAL AREAS, SIMILAR BROADCASTS HAVE BEEN ARRANGED BY NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION'S CIVILIAN INFORMATION TEAM IN ADDITION TO SHOWING FIRE PREVENTION FILMS AND DISTRIBUTING LEAFLETS AT VILLAGES.

-