23 March 1999
The GFMC correspondent Tian Xiaorui, Forest Fire Research Station, The Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, reports on 23 May 1999:
The 1999 forest fire season in China is very severe, especially in the Southwest of China.
During the first two months in 1999 a total of 126 forest fires occurred in Yunnan province. The fires covered 1538.81 ha, which is more than 24 times of the area of the period of last year. Due to the abnormal climate conditions there are more inflammable fuels and the fire risk is high. On 4 and 7 March 1999 two forest fires occurred in Yulong Snow Mountain Nature Protected Region. More than 6,100 people took part in fighting the fires.
During January 1999 30 forest fires occurred in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. The fires charred 2,110 ha forest, and 2,570,000 seedlings were killed. In Guangdong province a total of 263 fires burned.
For earlier reports on fire in the People's Republic of China: see IFFN Country Notes.