XN000022-1985-10-16 — Page 10

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1985

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CAMPAIGN TO PREVENT COUNTRYSIDE FIRE

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THE ANNUAL COUNTRYSIDE FIRE PREVENTION CAMPAIGN WILL BE LAUNCHED THIS SATURDAY (OCTOBER 19) AND WILL INCLUDE A SEMINAR FOR HIKER LEADERS AND A FIRE-FIGHTING DEMONSTRATION BY FIRE FIGHTING SQUADS OF THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT AT THE TAI LAM COUNTRY PARK. HELICOPTERS WILL ALSO BE CALLED IN TO DEMONSTRATE AIRLIFTING OF FIRECREWS.

A SET OF EDUCATIONAL PANELS ADVISING COUNTRYSIDE VISITORS ON HOW TO PREVENT THE OUTBREAK OF VEGETATION FIRE WILL ALSO BE ON DISPLAY.

+NATURAL VEGETATION IS AT A HIGH FIRE RISK AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR AS THE WEATHER IS DRY, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE FIRE PREVENTION PUBLICITY WORKING GROUP SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

+WITH THE LOW HUMIDITY, A SPARK SET OFF BY A CARELESS VISITOR COULD LEAD TO A DISASTROUS VEGETATION FIRE.

+A TIMELY APPEAL TO THE PUBLIC WOULD THEREFORE SAVE THOUSANDS OF TREES, HE SAID.

DURING THE 1984-85 DRY SEASON, 589 VEGETATION FIRES WERE REPORTED DESTROYING 77 226 TREES OVER AN AREA OF 915 HECTARES. THIS COMPARED WITH 1 323 FIRES IN 1983-84 WHICH DESTROYED 185 776 TREES OVER 5 819 HECTARES.

THE SIGNIFICANT DROP IN VEGETATION FIRES LAST YEAR, HE ADDED, WAS DUE TO THE PROLONGED WET WEATHER AND THE CO-OPERATION OF COUNTRYSIDE VISITORS.

HE APPEALED TO THE PUBLIC FOR CONTINUED CO-OPERATION AND AWARENESS OF FIRE PREVENTION AND NATURE CONSERVATION.

+GREAT CARE MUST BE TAKEN IN LIGHTING A FIRE IN THE COUNTRYSIDE AS MOST ARE CAUSED BY CARELESSNESS, HE SAID.

VISITORS SHOULD TAKE CARE IN THE HANDLING AND DISPOSING OF CIGARETTES, MATCHES, CANDLES AND JOSS STICKS.

+NEVER LIGHT A FIRE NEAR GRASS, SHRUBS OR TREES, NOR LEAVE A FIRE TO BURN UNATTENDED. ALSO, ALWAYS EXTINGUISH ALL FIRES BEFORE YOU LEAVE THEM,+ HE ADDED.

SERVICES PROVIDED IN KWAI CHUNG, TSING YI DISTRICT

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THE KWAI CHUNG-TSING YI DISTRICT, WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF RESIDENTS AND LICENSED PREMISES, GENERATES THE LARGEST AMOUNT OF REFUSE AMONG THE NINE DISTRICTS IN THE NON-URBAN AREA.

THIS WAS DISCLOSED AT THE FIRST MEETING OF THE KWAI CHUNG AND TSING YI DISTRICT COMMITTEE OF THE PROVISIONAL REGIONAL COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

/REPORTING ON

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