Hong Kong records 34 hill fires in 2 days, 2 flame trails on mountainside burn for 16 hours
- Fires reported on Kai Kung Leng mountain, Pat Heung near Kong Po Road and Heung Yuen Wai in Sheung Shui
- Another dry spell expected by Friday, with humidity to fall under 40 per cent over weekend
Hong Kong has reported 34 hill fires in two days amid dry and windy weather, with at least two sprawling trails of flames on Kai Kung Leng mountain burning for 16 hours, according to authorities.
A green group called on authorities to investigate whether illegal fireworks set off in nearby rural communities to mark Lunar New Year might have started the fire.
The Fire Services Department on Wednesday said it first received reports of a hill fire on Kai Kung Leng in Lam Tsuen Country Park in the northern New Territories at around 7pm the day before. Bright orange trails of fire could be seen from around the Yuen Long area well into the night as the blaze spread across the 585-metre (1,919 foot) summit.
Firefighters put out the blaze at 11.09am on Wednesday. Authorities earlier told nearby residents to close their windows to keep out smoke.
The Kai Kung Leng blaze was among 34 bushfires in the New Territories reported to authorities since Tuesday. Other locations of fires included Pat Heung near Kong Po Road and Heung Yuen Wai in Sheung Shui.