Forest Fire Extinguished in Shanxi Province, PS China: Update: 12 April 1999
Forest Fire Extinguished in Shanxi Province, PS China: Update Report from China
12 April 1999
Forest Fire Extinguished
By Tian Xiaorui, Chinese Academy of Forestry
A fire in the mountains of north China’s Shanxi Province was been eradicated after six days.
Some sections of the fire within Fenyang, where the blaze started on 3 April 1999, have been put under “basic control” after five days of hard work. Conditions in the fire area had been difficult, and authorities there were trying their best to put it out as soon as possible.
Twenty-three people died in the battle against the raging forest fire, which had already engulfed nearly 200 ha of forest land, including precious natural forest.
Thousands of soldiers, police and civilians have been taken part in controlling further spread of the fire near Fenyang in Shanxi Province during strong winds since 3 April 1999.
Six people, mostly of them are farmers in Shanxi, were taken into custody by police. The farmer were alleged to have caused forest fires in the province’s other forest zones by burning paper as an offering to the dead during Qingming Festival or Festival of Pure Brightness. Qingming is observed on or about 5 April every year.
At prevent, government at all levels in the province are intensifying the work of fire prevention.
