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Following is a question by the Hon Cheung Hok-ming and a reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr Ambrose S K Lee, in the Legislative Council today (November 15):
Question:
It was reported that the serious hill fire broke out recently in Tai Lam Country Park spread over an area of 460 hectares, destroying 66,000 trees and affecting the animals which used to inhabit there. It is estimated that it will take more than 10 years to restore the burnt woodland. Regarding the efforts in preventing and fighting hill fires, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) whether it has reviewed the efficacy of the education and publicity efforts or measures for hill fire prevention, in view of the rise in the number of hill fires around the Chung Yeung Festival this year as compared to that of the same period last year; if it has, of the results of the review; whether it will review if the existing facilities for hill fire prevention, such as fire breaks, green belts, water storage points and water tanks are really effective in preventing fire under different topographical and terrain situations;
(b) whether it has explored if there is room for improvement in the hill fire detection system and the roster mechanism of the fire crew stationed in the country parks so that hill fires can be timely detected and put out immediately; whether it will explore and acquire more effective fire-fighting equipment to cater for the topographical needs of the country parks in Hong Kong; and
(c) apart from the above-mentioned measures, whether there are other options for enhancing efforts in preventing and fighting hill fires?
Reply:
Madam President,
During the Chung Yeung Festival this year, the dry weather has increased the risk of hill fires. It took more than 51 hours to put out the hill fire that broke out in Tai Lam Country Park on November 1. This was mainly because the strong winds prevailing in the area (typhoon signal No. 1 was hoisted in Hong Kong) caused the hill fire to spread quickly and extensively. The steep and hilly terrain also increased the difficulty of the fire-fighting work.
Regarding the three parts of the question, our reply is as follows:
(a) The Government attaches great importance to the publicity and education work on the prevention of hill fires. Around the Ching Ming and Chung Yeung Festivals over the past few years, the Task Force on Hillfires (coordinated by the Security Bureau and comprising member departments including the Fire Services Department (FSD), the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), the Government Flying Service (GFS), the Civil Aid Service (CAS), the Auxiliary Medical Service, the Home Affairs Department and the Information Services Department), in collaboration with district organisations, voluntary organisations and public transport companies have stepped up the dissemination of hill fire prevention messages to the public. We have also disseminated such messages to the public and urged grave-sweepers to handle fire with care through the media such as television, radio and the Internet. In addition, on the days when the risk of hill fire is high, AFCD will deploy special enforcement teams to patrol hill fire black spots and prosecute those starting fires illegally. In this respect, the decrease in the number of hill fires from about 3,300 in 1999 to about 1,500 to 2,000 per year in recent years indicates that the publicity and education efforts have been quite effective. Nevertheless, we will continue to review and enhance our work in the hope of gaining the support of the public so that they will avoid leaving unextinguished fires which may cause hill fires when hiking or grave sweeping.
Regarding the prevention of hill fires, AFCD establishes fire breaks in suitable locations of country parks and removes weeds at major or new plantations, forest tracks and major country trails before each year's dry season in order to impede the spread of hill fires. This year, for example, AFCD established 50 kilometres of fire breaks in various country parks. In the recent hill fire in Tai Lam Country Park, the above measures proved effective in protecting some of the trees in the area. AFCD has also constructed 37 underground water tanks with a capacity of about 30,000 litres each at strategic locations in country parks for providing water source to put out hill fires. AFCD will continue to review, and consider the provision of additional fire breaks and underground water tanks at appropriate locations.
(b) The Government attaches great importance to detecting and fighting hill fires in country parks. At present, there are 11 fire lookouts established by AFCD. During the hill fire season from every September to the following April and after considering various environmental factors (such as humidity, wind speed and festive customs), AFCD will, as necessary, deploy staff to carry out 24-hour hill fire monitoring in order to detect hill fires as early as possible and arrange fire crews to station at various country park management centres round the clock so that they could be deployed to put out hill fires at the outset of an outbreak.
Government departments review the strategies and equipment for fighting hill fires from time to time in order to further enhance the efficiency in combating hill fires. For example, AFCD has upgraded four helipads in country parks to facilitate GFS helicopters in assisting the fighting of hill fires. In addition, FSD, AFCD and CAS have also acquired newly designed knapsack pumps for combating hill fires. The newly designed knapsack pumps are lighter and easier to carry than those fire-fighting equipment used in the past.
(c) With the concerted efforts of Government departments and the public, the number of hill fires in recent years has decreased when compared with many years ago. However, as the countryside covers 70 per cent of Hong Kong's area and according to experience, many hill fires occurred near private cemeteries scattered all over the New Territories, the Government will continue to disseminate fire prevention messages, through the Heung Yee Kuk, Rural Committees and District Fire Safety Committees, to remind the public to handle fire with care and conserve the countryside. In the coming Ching Ming and Chung Yeung Festivals, we will also deploy more staff and volunteers (such as Fire Safety Ambassadors or green groups) to step up publicity and education work at the main entrances and exits to private cemeteries, with a view to further reducing the occurrence of hill fires. We hope that the public will continue to support the Government's fire prevention efforts and join hands to protect the countryside.
Ends/Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Issued at HKT 15:23
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