Society
Forest fire in SW. China partially controlled
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-02-16 11:15
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KUNMING: A forest fire that has been raging for two days on Mt. Cangshan, a picturesque mountain in southwest China's Yunnan Province, has been partially contained, the local fire control authority said Tuesday.
The fire broke out at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, and has burnt 65 hectares in the mountain, according to the Forest Fire Control Headquarters in Yangbi Ethnic Yi Autonomous County, Dali.
The headquarters said that no casualty had been reported.
A helicopter has been sent to aid the fire control work in the hilly forest land, where tourists and local residents have been evacuated. Roads linking to the mountainous area have been cordoned off, according to the headquarters.
It said that hundreds of people including local residents and soldiers had been working to put out the fire. The weather service department has also carried out modification measures to increase rainfall.
The province is suffering the worst drought in 60 years. But windy weather has helped forest fires overspread fast, according to the provincial forestry department.
The fire control headquarters said 84 forest fires had been reported since November last year, an increase of was 611 percent more than the same period of the previous year.
