Forest fire in north China put out, no casualties reported
Forest fire in north China put out, no casualties reported
20 April 2011
published by english.peopledaily.com.cn
China — A forest fire which had raged for a week in north China’s Hebei Province was put out on Tuesday, with no casualties reported, said a source from the state forest fire prevention and control headquarters.
More than 10,000 people, including armed police, soldiers, and firemen were organized to help extinguish the forest fire after it broke out on April 12 in Qinhuangdao City’s Funing County and Qinglong County, with at least 7,000 mu (about 467 hectares) of forest burnt, said the source.
In addition to dispatching four helicopters to join the fire-fighting efforts, the authorities on Sunday resorted to firing about 129 rockets loaded with dry ice or silver iodide in the hope of inducing rain, according to the source.
The state forest fire prevention and control headquarters, led by Jia Zhibang, chief of the State Forestry Administration, is tasked with the missions to offer guidance in forest fire prevention and major forest fire fighting operations across the country.
