|
CHINA> Regional
![]() |
|
Rescuers try to contain raging wildfire tonight
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-05-01 14:52 YICHUN, Heilongjiang -- Firefighters are battling to contain wind-whipped fire that has been raging for nearly five days near a virgin forest in the northeastern Chinese province of Heilongjiang. The fire started in Yinanhe Forest Farm on Monday afternoon and quickly spread northeast to Yichun City. It has killed one firefighter and injured four others.
People living up to 35 km from the fire front were being evacuated, although the exact number being forced to move was not immediately known. Fire crews worked overnight Thursday hoping to bring the fire in Yichun under control. But their efforts were hindered by wind gusts of up to 40 km per hour. Local authorities said they expected Friday's drizzle and artificial rain would help extinguish the flames. "We need to take advantage of the rain, put out the fire tonight and clean up the fire site to prevent invisible sparks from escalating into big flames again tomorrow," said Governor Li Zhanshu, who visited Yichun city Friday. Yichun is home to more than 30 percent of the world's total Korean pine virgin forests and also a renowned granite stone-forest national park. Its forests are susceptible to fires every spring and autumn. In another forest fire that burned through an oasis in the deserts of Aksu Prefecture of the northwestern Xinjiang Ugyur Autonomous Region Thursday night, more than 20 centuries-old trees were scorched. Border police officers in Aksu said the fire started on grass at 11 p.m. and soon spread to the woods, with winds sweeping at 38 km per hour. The flames were put out at 4 a.m. Friday and no casualties were reported. |
|||||
盐亭县| 郸城县| 晴隆县| 平安县| 巴马| 华阴市| 威远县| 唐河县| 龙泉市| 天镇县| 合作市| 湖南省| 普陀区| 健康| 施秉县| 沂南县| 永清县| 三穗县| 青阳县| 和静县| 韶山市| 墨江| 连州市| 黑河市| 日喀则市| 万源市| 娄烦县| 鹿邑县| 黄大仙区| 江津市| 大城县| 韶山市| 定边县| 彰武县| 北流市| 刚察县| 铁力市| 渑池县| 万山特区| 隆化县| 唐河县|