XN000022-1984-12-15 — Page 6

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1984

HILL FIRES DESTROY 20 000 TREES

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STATISTICS RELEASED BY THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT TODAY (SATURDAY) SHOWS THAT 273 FIRES HAVE BROKEN OUT IN THE COUNTRY PARK AREAS SINCE SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR, DESTROYING 331 HECTARES OF GRASSLAND AND 20 000 TREES.

FOR THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD LAST YEAR THERE WERE 656 FIRES, CAUSING DAMAGE TO 2 147 HECTARES OF GRASSLAND AND 103 000 TREES.

A FIRE PROTECTION OFFICER, MR PAUL CHEUNG, EXPLAINED THAT ONE REASON FOR THE SIGNIFICANT DECREASE WAS THAT THE WEATHER THIS YEAR WAS NOT AS DRY AS LAST YEAR.

+ALSO, MORE PEOPLE ARE TAKING HEED OF OUR FIRE PREVENTION ADVICE AND ARE MORE AWARE OF THE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES OF HILL FIRES, HE SAID.

HOWEVER, MR CHEUNG WARNED THAT FIRE RISKS IN THE COUNTRYSIDE WERE EXPECTED TO BE MUCH HIGHER WITH THE COMING OF THE COLD DRY SEASON.

+ALL IT TAKES IS ONE OR TWO DAYS OF NORTHERLY WINDS TO DRY UP THE VEGETATION AND MAKE THEM INFLAMMABLE,+ HE SAID.

A FOR COUNTRYSIDE LOVERS, 1983 WAS A PARTICULARLY BAD YEAR. TOTAL OF 1 316 HILL FIRES WERE RECORDED - THE HIGHEST FIGURE IN FIVE YEARS - DESTROYING 220 000 TREES AND LARGE AREAS OF GRASSLAND.

+THE SITUATION WAS SO BAD THAT WE HAD TO CLOSE A NUMBER OF COUNTRY PARKS AND A NATURE RESERVE FOR EIGHT WEEKS, MR CHEUNG RECALLED.

ABOUT 50 PER CENT OF HILL FIRES OCCUR DURING WEEKENDS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS WHEN THERE ARE MORE VISITORS TO THE COUNTRYSIDE, 20 TO 30 PER CENT ARE CAUSED BY FARMERS AND VILLAGERS WHILE BURNING FIELD WEEDS AND RUBBISH; AND TWO PER CENT BY GRAVE SWEEPERS.

MR CHEUNG ADVISED COUNTRYSIDE VISITORS TO OBSERVE THE

FOLLOWING SAFETY RULES:

*

*

EXTINGUISH CIGARETTE ENDS AND MATCHES BEFORE DISPOSAL

LIGHT BARBECUE FIRES ONLY IN DESIGNATED PITS AND

* BRING PRE-COOKED FOOD WHEN THE WEATHER IS

EXTREMELY DRY.

HE ALSO REMINDED THE PUBLIC THAT THE ILLEGAL USE OF FIRE IN THE COUNTRYSIDE IS PUNISHABLE BY A $5 000 FINE AND ONE YEAR'S IMPRISONMENT. IN 1983, 141 PERSONS WERE PROSECUTED AND CONVICTED, WITH FINES TOTALLING $20 850.

THIS YEAR'S