The forest fire in the remote border region of northeast China's
Heilongjiang Province has been brought under
control but there are chances of reignition, said local
sources.
As of Thursday midnight, the burning fire on the periphery of
the blazing site in the Hannuohe forestry center in the Greater
Hinggan Mountains had been put out, but smoke could still be seen,
said local forest fire prevention headquarters.
According to weather reports, the highest temperature on Friday
is expected to reach 12 to 18 centigrade degrees and the wind speed
may reach 7.9 meters per second. The headquarters said it is
possible that the fire would reappear fanned by the wind.
The firefighters will focus their efforts on the prevention of
reignition of smoldering fire on the blazing site, said the
headquarters.
The fire broke out Monday afternoon in the Hannuohe forestry
center and appeared to have died down Wednesday morning after
engulfing some 15 square kilometers of forest. But when a strong
50-60 kph wind blew up in the afternoon, it revived and started to
spread.
Since the fire broke out, the national headquarters for the
prevention of forest fires has sent about 10,000 firefighters and
airplanes to the site of blaze.
The provincial government of Heilongjiang has ordered stricter
control of inflammable substances.
Lack of rainfall in north China was blamed for the threat of
forest fires and people have been warned to be alert of such
hazards.
The Chinese Central Meteorological Station has forecasted rain
in Heilongjiang and experts believe the rainfall could help put out
the fire.
Another fire broke out in a mountain in western Beijing
yesterday afternoon and has spread to about 100 mu (6.67
hectares) of area.
The fire, in the Baihua Mountain Nature Reserve in Mentougou
District, was still not extinguished by 10:30 PM on Thursday,
according to a Beijing Times report.
The fire was discovered in a forestry farm with a total area of
7,000 mu (466.67 hectares) at about 3:00 PM on Thursday.
Most of the trees in the farm are pine trees.
Firefighters and several hundred people were mobilized to fight
the fire.
The cause of the fire was still not clear, said the report.
(Xinhua News Agency May 4, 2007)
