XN000022-1981-12-07 — Page 3

MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1981

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VOLUNTEER WATCHERS FOR SQUATTER FIRES

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EVERY EVENING AT ABOUT HALF PAST FIVE, A GROUP OF YOUNG MEN WHO HAVE JUST RETURNED FROM WORK BEGIN TO PATROL THE TSIN SHUI MA TAU VILLAGE SQUATTER AREA IN SHAU KI WAN, WATCHING OUT FOR THE FIRST SIGN OF THEIR DEADLY ENEMY - FIRE.

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THEY LOOK FOR SIGNS OF THICK SMOKE OR FLAME. THEY ALSO WATCH OUT FOR CHILDREN PLAYING WITH MATCHES, FOR OBSTRUCTIONS TO FIRE ESCAPE ROUTES, ILLEGAL WIRE CONNECTIONS OR ANY INCIDENTS THAT COULD START A FIRE.

THESE YOUNG MEN ARE MEMBERS OF THE VILLAGE'S VOLUNTARY FIRE WATCH TEAM, ESTABLISHED THREE YEARS AGO WITH THE HELP OF THE LOCAL CITY DISTRICT OFFICE. THERE ARE NOW 101 OTHER SIMILAR TEAMS IN HONG KONG.

THE TEAM'S JOB, ACCORDING TO THEIR ORGANISER, MR LEUNG CHI-KEUNG, IS TO WATCH OUT FOR ANY FIRE IN THE VILLAGE AND, HAVING SPOTTED ONE, TO TAKE IMMEDIATE FIRE FIGHTING MEASURES TO TACKLE THE BLAZE UNTIL THE ARRIVAL OF PROFESSIONAL FIRE FIGHTERS.

+EQUALLY, IF NOT MORE IMPORTANT, IT IS IN THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO TEACH SQUATTERS HOW TO TAKE PROPER PRECAUTIONS AGAINST THE OUTBREAK OF FIRE, MR LEUNG SAID.

MR LEUNG RECALLED THAT ON A DRY AUTUMN EVENING IN 1979, A WOMAN OF THE VILLAGE FORGOT THAT HER DINNER WAS COOKING ON THE STOVE. THE MEAL BEGAN TO BURN AND THIS LED TO A SMALL FIRE IN HER KITCHEN. FORTUNATELY, THE CAPTAIN OF THE WATCH TEAM, PUI CHOI, WAS PATROLLING NEARBY. HE TOLD ANOTHER TEAM MEMBER TO STRIKE A GONG TO RAISE THE ALARM WHILE HE GRABBED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND BATTLED THE BLAZE.

+THE FIRE WAS INSTANTLY PUT OUT. AND THE KITCHEN WAS STILL INTACT, ALL BECAUSE THE FIRE WAS SPOTTED EARLY ENOUGH, + MR LEUNG SAID.

MR LEUNG ALSO RECALLED THAT A YET BIGGER FIRE IN DECEMBER 1980 HAD REQUIRED THE EFFORTS OF THE WHOLE FIRE WATCH TEAM PLUS HELP FROM THE VILLAGERS.

+SOON AFTER THE FIRE BROKE OUT IN A HUT AT MID SLOPE, MR PUI ARRIVED WITH THE WHOLE FIRE WATCH TEAM. HE SENT ONE MEMBER OF THE TEAM TO CALL THE FIRE SERVICES AND TO DIRECT THE FIREMEN TO THE SCENE WHEN THEY ARRIVED. HE ALSO ORGANISED SEVERAL OTHER TEAM MEMBERS TO EVACUATE THE NEIGHBOURING SQUATTER HUTS, AND TO JOIN THE REST OF THE TEAM TO STOP THE FIRE FROM SPREADING,

+THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT EVEN BEFORE THE FIREMEN ARRIVED, + MR LEUNG SAID.

+OTHER THAN THESE TWO OCCASIONS, THERE HAVE BEEN NO OTHER FIRES IN THE VILLAGE IN THE PAST THREE YEARS,+ HE SAID.

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