KUNMING - Fire fighters had extinguished all visible flames in a mountain forest of southwest China's Yunnan province on Friday, 24 hours after the fire broke out.

The fire began at the foot of Dongshan Mountain in Baisha township, Yulong county of Lijiang at around 10 am Thursday and engulfed at least 45 hectares of mountain forests amid high winds.

Nearly 3,000 people joined the rescue efforts, including fire fighters, police officers, soldiers of the People's Liberation Army and volunteers.

The visible flames were extinguished as of 9 am Friday, said Guo Jianxiong, chief of an armed police brigade in Yunnan province.

But fire fighters were still closely watching the mountain forests, fearing some sparks might escalate into a blaze again amid high winds in the dense woods, he said.

The fire site is about 5 km from Yulong Snow Mountain, one of the most important tourist destinations in the city of Lijiang.

The snow mountain, which was closed to visitors Thursday, reopened Friday.

Authorities are calculating the losses incurred, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.