Firefighters battle to control forest fire in northern China in gale-force winds
- Nearly 3,000 hectares of forest have been destroyed in Qingyuan, Shanxi
- It comes after six firefighters were killed trying to tackle a blaze in the same county earlier this month
More than 1,500 firefighters are battling to control a huge forest fire in northern China that is being fanned by gale-force winds.
The Ministry of Emergency Management said the blaze in Qingyuan county, Shanxi province began around 1.30pm on Friday and spread quickly because of strong wind gusts.
By 4pm on Sunday, nearly 3,000 hectares (7,400 acres) of forest had been destroyed, according to a statement from the field command centre.
Firefighters had managed to reduce the number of spot fires from 75 to 23 after a day, it said.
Meanwhile, 3,800 residents have been evacuated and the local government has ordered nearby companies storing flammable materials on their premises to transfer them to safe areas.
No casualties have been reported so far.
The ministry has sent more than 30 fire engines and six helicopters to the area. The biggest problem for firefighters was the strong winds that were changing direction, according to the command centre. The weather bureau said winds had reached more than 62km/h.
It comes after six firefighters died trying to put out a forest fire in the same county earlier this month. Seven firefighters became trapped near Nanshi village on March 14 when the wind suddenly changed direction, with only one managing to escape the blaze.
Separately, firefighters have extinguished a forest fire on the northeastern outskirts of Beijing. The fire broke out around noon on Saturday in Miyun district, moving quickly in the direction of Pinggu district in high winds.
More than 2,000 rescuers and firefighters were called in and the blaze was put out within a day. Some 50 hectares of forest was burned but no casualties were reported, the ministry said.
Police said an investigation found the fire was accidentally started by villagers who had been burning grass and leaves after clearing their drains. Seven people have been placed in police custody over the incident.
