Fire spotting - a job for the eagle-eyed who don't mind a 24-hour shift

For people who have good eyesight and are willing to work 24-hour shifts, here is the ideal job.

Consider becoming a fire spotter for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department but be warned: members of the fire-lookout team must be able to carry buckets of water across steep slopes and sleep in a tiny hilltop room without a heater in winter.

Hong Kong has 11 fire-lookout stations situated at the top of the highest hills in various country parks and special areas. At present, a team of 44 fire spotters work in pairs on 24-hour shifts.

Fire Services Department figures released last week show there were 1,501 hill fires last year, which is a 23 per cent increase compared with the previous year.

The fire-lookout team is on duty from September to April, as hill fires are more likely in these months. Fires more often occur during the Ching Ming festival in April when people burn offerings at their ancestors' graves and sometimes spark hill fires.

If a hill fire is spotted, team members make a report by walkie-talkie to the control centre, which alerts the fire department.

Wong Yuen-ching, 51, who has been with the fire-lookout team for 16 years, said spotters seldom made mistakes. 'The only 'mistake' was a fire going out after it was reported,' he said.