China's national headquarters on prevention of forestry fire has
called for more precautions against possible fire in Inner Mongolia
and Heilongjiang for the next ten days.
Local fire-control authorities in eastern Inner Mongolia and
northern Heilongjiang Province should keep alert and prepare for
fires, Cao Qingrao, spokesman of the State Forestry Administration
said Friday.
Four forestry fires have broken out in eastern Inner Mongolia
since Tuesday due to continuous heat and draught, which is likely
to continue in the next ten days, according to the China
Meteorological Administration (CMA).
Vice Premier Hui Liangyu has ordered local governments to
intensify preventative measures against forestry fire.
About 2,900 forestry police and troops had managed to control
fires raging at three locations in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous
Region, local sources said on Friday.
The areas covered and economic losses are yet to be counted.
From January to July, 6,960 forestry fires were reported
nationwide, affecting 15,789 hectares of forests, down 4.43 percent
and 62.2 percent respectively compared with the average rates of
the past eight years.
(Xinhua News Agency August 18, 2007)