Forestry authorities said on Sunday that fire fighters have
halted the spread of a fire that has swept across 800 hectares of
mountainside woods in Muli County in southwest China's Sichuan
Province.
No casualties have been reported, according to the forest-fire
prevention office of the State Forestry Administration (SFA).
The fire broke out on May 17 in an area of virgin forest and
spread quickly due to dry weather and strong winds. Some 2,150
police officers and local residents have rushed to the spot to help
fight it.
Vice-Premier Hui
Liangyu has issued instructions to curb the fire, and the SFA
has dispatched a working group to supervise operations and
organized transportation of equipment.
(Xinhua News Agency May 23, 2005)