10-day blaze destroyed 1,260 hectares of forest
10-day blaze destroyed 1,260 hectares offorest
14June 2005
publishedby www.chinadaily.com.cn
…In another development, a 10-day blaze caused by an explosion detonated bylocal geological surveyors has destroyed 1,260 hectares of forest. The fireoccurred in Muli Tibet Autonomous County in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecturein Southwest China’s Sichuan Province. No casualties were reported.
Six-hundred firefighters are to remain at the scene until Thursday if it doesnot rain, according to the provincial forest fire control office.
The fire broke out on June 1. A special team, headed by Du Yongsheng,director of the fire control office under the State Forestry Administration,reached Muli on June 7 to direct firefighting and rescue operations.
Thanks to the team and more than 2,600 firefighters, the fire was finally putout after 10 days.
According to the provincial forest fire control office, the exact losses arenot yet known.
It was the third forest fire in Muli since May 17. The previous two firesdestroyed 1,440 hectares of forest in the county, Sichuan’s largest forestedarea.
According to Li Hongwei, Party secretary of Muli, the county has 850,000hectares of forest, 790,000 of which are virgin forests. Its wood reserve is 105million cubic metres, accounting for one-10th of Sichuan’s total.
