XN000022-1993-10-15 — Page 22

20

20

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1993

"DESTRUCTION CAUSED BY HILL FIRES WILL NOT ONLY AFFECT COUNTRYSIDE VEGETATION, IT WILL ALSO DAMAGE LANDSCAPE QUALITY, WILDLIFE HABITAT AND SOIL STABILITY," HE ADDED.

A FEW SIMPLE MEASURES WHICH CAN REDUCE HILL FIRES ARE:

*

*

COUNTRY PARK VISITORS SHOULD ONLY LIGHT FIRE IN DESIGNATED BARBECUE SITES:

PUBLIC SHOULD NOT DISCARD BURNING CIGARETTE ENDS IN THE COUNTRYSIDE:

VILLAGERS SHOULD BE CAREFUL WHEN BURNING OFF WEEDS AND RUBBISH ON FARMLAND NEAR THE HILLSIDES: AND

GRAVE-WORSHIPPERS

SHOULD LIGHT JOSS PAPER IN CONTAINERS

AND NEVER LEAVE BURNING JOSS STICKS AND PAPER UNATTENded.

ON THE GOVERNMENT'S EFFORT TO PREVENT HILL FIRES, MR CHAN SAID AFD WOULD HAVE FIRE FIGHTING TEAMS IN FORCE DURING THE DRY SEASON.

THEY WILL MONITOR ANY OUTBREAK OF FIRE FROM 10 FIRE LOOKOUTS SO THAT ACTION CAN BE TAKEN TO SAVE THE COUNTRYSIDE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT WILL PROVIDE SUPPORT INCLUDE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT, CIVIL AID SERVICES AND THE GOVERNMENT FLYING SERVICE.

AT TODAY'S FUNCTION, THE GOVERNMENT FLYING SERVICE DISPLAYED A NEWLY PURCHASED HELICOPTER WHICH COULD LIFT A BUCKET FOUR TIMES THE SIZE OF EXISTING ONES TO HELP IN WATER BOMBING TASK. THIS

WAS FOLLOWED BY

A HILL FIRE FIGHTING DEMONSTRATION AT A SITE IN LIN FA SHAN.

ON THIS YEAR'S COUNTRYSIDE FIRE PREVENTION DRIVE, MR CHAN SAID A NUMBER OF PUBLICITY PROGRAMMES AND EXHIBITIONS WOULD BE PREPARED BY THE AFD.

THE INFORMATION

POSTERS AND PUBLICITY

PREVENTION MESSAGE.

SERVICES DEPARTMENT WOULD ALSO PRODUCE NEW MATERIALS ΤΟ SPREAD THE COUNTRYSIDE FIRE

MR CHAN ALSO TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO REMIND GRAVE-SWEEPERS TO TAKE PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES WHEN BURNING JOSS STICKS AND PAPERS DURING THE FORTHCOMING CHUNG YEUNG FESTIVAL.

ANY PERSON WHO CAUSES HILL FIRES AND DAMAGE TO OUR VALUABLE COUNTRYSIDE IS LIABLE TO A MAXIMUM FINE OF $5,000 AND ONE YEAR'S IMPRISONMENT, HE SAID.

'THERE WERD FIVE PROSECUTIONS AGAINST THE ILLEGAL USE OF FIRES IN COUNTRY PARKS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS AND OFFENDERS WERE FINED UP $1,000.

ΤΟ

/21