Society

Fire raging in SW China forest for three days

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-02-09 20:10

Flames of a forest fire in Shilin county, southwest China's Yunnan province are seen in this picture taken on February 9, 2010. [Xinhua]

KUNMING: More than 4,700 fire fighters, soldiers, government officials and villagers were mobilized Tuesday against a fire that has been raging in a mountain forest for three days in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

The fire started at about 2:09 p.m. Sunday in the forest on the Mt. Yangmei in the Yi Autonomous County of Shilin, a spokesman with the county government said.

The fire has spread northeastward to Luliang County of the neighboring city of Qujing with the perimeter reaching 10 kilometers.

Some 30 excavators, loaders and bulldozers and 60 pumps have been used to fight the fire. A helicopter was also dispatched Tuesday morning to spray water over the forest, the spokesman said.

"But the lack of water due to a lingering drought and strong winds have made the operation difficult," he said, adding the fire is still spreading.

An initial investigation showed the fire was started when a farmer tried to burn out weed in his orchard. Police have detained the farmer surnamed Luo for further questioning.

Cooperation between land and air forces should be strengthened in an effort to contain the blaze, Kong Chuizhu, vice governor of Yunnan, told a working conference Tuesday afternoon at the fire-fighting headquarters.

Yunnan suffered another blaze Tuesday as forest fire started in neighboring Myanmar spread to Tengchong County of Baoshan City on the Chinese side, according to Tengchong's fire control office.

The fire spread to China at about 5:30 p.m. and has engulfed about 30 hectares of bamboo forest and shrubbery. More than 1,000 people are working to put it out.

Also on Tuesday, more than 2,000 firefighters and villagers jointly extinguished a fire in Guizhou Province, which neighbors Yunnan.

A villager was killed and another injured while fighting the fire which broke out on Monday morning in the Yushe National Forest Park in Liupanshui City, said a spokesman with the city government.

The park has 20 hectares of virgin forest, and is home to precious plant species of dove tree and taxus.

Officials with the provincial forestry bureau said trees destroyed by the fire were mainly Japan cedar, tung and shrubbery.

The local authorities are investigating the cause the fire and the area of the burnt forest.