Above map is not drawn to scale, but somewhat illustrates the areas affected and endangered. Comparable to a current street map.
The Chinese captions read :
A Pak Tin Village (~3 villages burnt)
B Shek Kip Mei Village (1 village burnt)
C fire burnt from northeast hillside to southwest
P Tai Po Road
Q Barwick Street
R Pak Ho Street (photo 1, photo 2 after)
S Nam Cheong Street
T Yiu Tung Street
Coverages of the fire are mainly available in Chinese. English papers like China Mail, even the Dec. 27 edition is not found at hand. (possibly due to holidays ?)
As the Kung Sheung Daily (Dec. 26 issue) reported, even some buildings on Tai Po Road, upper ends of R (e.g. photo) and S were once threatened (i.e. north-west of arrowhead), among others. Altogether six villages of shacks were burnt totally.
Kung Sheung also reported, Fire Brigade Chief Officer Gorman had issued emergence notice urging all backup firemen on site to fight the big fire, via broadcasts on Radio Hong Kong
and Rediffusion channels after 10 pm.
Other disciplined groups came to help on site include : St John Ambulance Brigade (over hundred direct from the Christmas party at Hqtr), RMP (who assists keeping order during
Christmas), Air Force and Army firefighting units.
It is mentioned on Dec. 28 China Mail (right side of above clipping), Radio Hong Kong (English) had compiled a 20-min feature on the fire, broadcast at 7:10 pm that evening.
One witness of this big fire is Dr. James J. Wong, well-known Cantopop lyricist, writer, creative worker. His home was at 248 Tai Po Road, according to research of Dr Ng Chun Hung.
One signature tune of the Radio Television Hong Kong realistic drama series has been without words for few years in mid 70s. The lyrics written by James Wong later in some way
may reflect and resonate with personal experiences from this early life neighbourhood of him, said TV series is named 'Below the Lion Rock' (獅子山下). A theme song familiar to generations of people in Hong Kong over several decades.
sources
China Mail, 1953-12-28 p.8
coverage on Kung Sheung Daily News 1953-12-26 p.5, tranlatable to English by AI online
Wah Kiu Yat Po
related gwulo threads, may read :
Shek Kip Mei after the fire, 1953
https://gwulo.com/node/57327#
other resources :
The Shek Kip Mei Myth (Hong Kong Heritage 2006-9-2; audio recording available on MMIS of hkpl)
Shek Kip Mei Mark One Resettlement Estate (Hong Kong Heritage 2002-11-24; on MMIS also)
29 photos around the area are curated by HK memory, including one at the same site 14 days after (start here), among the 40 kept in GRS related to the event.