Forest fire breaks out in Dali
Forestfire breaks out in Dali
16 April 2006
published by http://english.eastday.com
Smoke rises from the Cangshan Mountain near
the ancient city of Dali, southwest China’s Yunnan
Province, yesterday. (Xinhua photo)
More than 3,000 people have been sent to quench a raging forest fire in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture in southwest China’s Yunnan Province, police sources said yesterday.
The fire broke out at 2 p.m. Friday near a sightseeing site “pond of seven fairies” in Cangshan Mountain and caused limited damage thanks to two man-made rainfalls, the sources said.
Tourists have been evacuated.
The fire gave a dense smoke visible from scenic Dali City about 10 km away.
It is the second forest fire in Yunnan in a couple of days. A fire broke out at around 6 p.m. Wednesday at Cimeige of Yulong County.
Investigation into the cause of the forest fires is under way.
Meanwhile, firefighters were sent to quench a forest fire that had been brought under control but resurged due to strong wind on Saturday afternoon in Lijiang city, Southwest China’s Yunnan Province.
The fire flared up at 2 p.m. Saturday when it blew heavily with the flame in some areas more than 10 meters high. The firefighters have then put out most of the fire, and were quenching in two sites measuring more than 3 hectares each, according to He Zixing,party secretary of Lijiang city on Saturday.
The fire, which broke out at Cimeige of Yulong County, around 6p.m. on Wednesday, has not posed a threat to or influence on the famous snow-clad Yulong Mountain scenery some 20 km away.
Affected forest area extends 133 ha, with primarily regrown forests and some primitive forests being destroyed, said an official from the fire fighting headquarters.
More than 2,000 personnel, including those from the military and the armed police, plus one helicopter and about 100 tanker trucks have been sent to quench the fire.
Cause of the fire was unknown by press time.
