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Forest Fire in Lung Ha Wan

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  1. #11

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    weird, spent the weekend at muo wo. saw a helicopter with an orange ball hanging going towards the reservoir area. thought it was one of those fire fighting thingy. but didn't see any smoke anywhere. was there another fire on lamma island too?


  2. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by iliketurtles:
    Watercooler, why on earth would I lie about the white building?
    Um...where did I say you lied? Apologies for any misunderstanding. Take it easy. I just wanted you to clarify where this white building is. I don't remember it, my memory might be a little hazy since it was a while ago when I hiked there. That's all I am saying. Relax, don't be so defensive ok? I am not saying you lied.

    P.S-Have you received a reply from the fire department yet?
    Last edited by Watercooler; 02-12-2013 at 12:02 PM.

  3. #13

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    Original Post Deleted
    Yeah, I used "" because I can't be sure of the existence of this building. That doesn't mean I think she lied. Shiny? A white building would stand out from the trees no?

    Speaking of bizzare...want to know something? The world is a bizzare place...
    Last edited by Watercooler; 02-12-2013 at 12:24 PM.

  4. #14

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    I haven't heard back from the fire department yet but it has only been 5/6 working hours so far.

    The "white building" (or "ghostly apparition", depending on how you view it) is near/on lung ha wan road not the hiking trail itself (which runs over the spine of the hill). If you hiked, you wouldn't have seen it.

    Watercooler likes this.

  5. #15

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    Did any forest burn? Or was it more like grass and small hillside shrubs? Im terrified our forests will catch fire one day but they never have since I've lived here though the grassy mountains across the way burn almost every second year.

    Some lunatic felled hectares of trees right in the middle and just left them, they are a very real fire danger now. Think I will report the danger.


  6. #16

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    I don't really know what your definition of forest is, but the hills are built up with vegetation - lots of grass, shrubs and trees.


  7. #17

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    Forest is IMO in Hong Kong at least are semi deciduous and evergreen broadleaf trees forming a continuous canopy any height depending on age and soils.

    Veld or brush scrub is predominately grasses with the odd low growing bush. These kinds of fires are quite important to maintain the grasses properly. The odd burn is not a disaster as most grasses survive the burn and in fact grow back even better. The smoke stimulates bulbs to flower and seeds to germinate, the new grass is much loved by deer as its high in protein etc

    A forest fire on the the other hand kills trees and is not a good thing for Hong Kong. Trees take a long time to establish. Once burnt unless its Australian eucalyptus for example they die for good and soils get washed away in the summer rains.

    Bushveld is a mix of trees and grass but Hong Kong doesn't have any. Here the trees are often built to survive fires along with the grasses.

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  8. #18

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    I'm a bit confused because I don't know of any forests in Hong Kong which are exclusively evergreen broadleaf trees or semi-deciduous. Most are a mix of everything.

    The hills aren't bush scrub either. It's something in between, like most of the forest in Hong Kong. I'm sorry I can't be more specific that that.

    I really don't think this forest fire was created to maintain the grasses properly. It was completely out of control and really quite terrifying to watch.


  9. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by iliketurtles:
    I'm a bit confused because I don't know of any forests in Hong Kong which are exclusively evergreen broadleaf trees or semi-deciduous.

    Most are a mix of everything.
    Oh yes there are some very nice hillsides covered in exclusively semi deciduous and evergreen broadleaf forest. Not a mix of anything else, no grasses too much shade. They are extremely precious.

    I just read "forest" fire in Lung Ha Wan an area which Im not familiar with. A forest fire could also burn for weeks and weeks.

    Less of a tragedy if it's not a forest of course. Which is why I was asking. Hong Kong has precious few mature forest some only even just approaching maturity now.
    Watercooler likes this.

  10. #20

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    We have mature forest at the back of our village, which the villagers delight in chopping down whenever the Lands Department aren't looking. Keeps the snakes back apparently. They are creeping ever further back up the hillside, although they make is zig-zagged to hide their vege patches.

    Koen likes this.