XN000022-1985-12-17 — Page 11

10

+

FUESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1985

+THESE BIG FIRES BROKE OUT AROUND NOON ON SUNDAY AND BURNED THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND INTO THE EVENING,

+THE TAI MO SHAN AND SAI KUNG EAST FIRES WERE EXTINGUISHED SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT WHILE THE FIRE IN LANTAU COUNTRY PARK WAS PUT OUT YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, HE SAID.

+

FIRE CREWS OF THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT AND THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT TACKLED THE FIRES WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE CIVIL AID SERVICES. THE ROYAL HONG KONG AUXILIARY AIR FORCE ALSO ASSISTED IN WATER BOMBING OPERATIONS.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT DRY WEATHER CONDITIONS IN RECENT WEEKS HAD RENDERED THE COUNTRYSIDE EXTREMELY VULNERABLE TO FIRES.

HE REVEALED THAT MORE THAN 410 FIRES HAD BEEN REPORTED IN THE COUNTRYSIDE SINCE LATE SEPTEMBER. THIS COMPARED WITH A TOTAL OF 277 FIRES DURING THE LAST FIRE SEASON.

+SO FAR THIS SEASON, MORE THAN 116 000 TREES WERE DAMAGED AND 985 HECTARES OF GRASSLAND AFFECTED BY FIRES. THE DAMAGE IS VERY SEVERE INDEED WHEN COMPARED WITH 20 100 TREES AND 332 HECTARES OF AFFECTED GRASSLAND FOR THE SAME PERIOD LAST SEASON, HE SAID.

THE SPOKESMAN ADVISED PICNICKERS TO TAKE SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS WHEN VISITING THE COUNTRYSIDE AND TO BARBECUE ONLY IN DESIGNATED SITES.

HE ADDED THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER IF THEY BROUGHT ALONG PRE- COOKED FOOD.

LIGHTING A FIRE IN A COUNTRY PARK OUTSIDE A DESIGNATED EARBECUE SITE WAS AN OFFENCE CARRYING A MAXIMUM PENALTY OF $5 000 AND A YEAR'S IMPRISONMENT, HE WARNED.

REAR LANE TIDY-UP EXERCISE CARRIED OUT

*****

ILLEGAL STRUCTURES, HAWKERS HANDCARTS AND BASKETS OF RUBBISH WERE REMOVED FROM A REAR LANE IN CHATHAM ROAD, HUNG HOM, TODAY (TUESDAY) DURING A JOINT OPERATION BY THE KOWLOON CITY DISTRICT OFFICE, THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND THE LANDS DEPARTMENT.

TODAY'S OPERATION WAS THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF TIDY-UP EXERCISES TO ENSURE THAT REAR LANES IN HUNG HOM, KOWLOON CITY AND TO KWA WAN WHICH WERE CLEARED IN 1982, CONTINUE TO BE FREE FROM OBSTRUCTIONS.

DURING THE 1982 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME, 42 CLEARANCE OPERATIONS WERE CARRIED OUT AND MORE THAN 600 ILLEGAL STRUCTURES IN 72 REAR LANES WERE REMOVED.

/A KOWLOON