A forest reserve around Mount Cangshan, a well-known scenic spot
in Yunnan Province, southwest China, caught on
fire on Thursday.
The fire started on a mountain behind Jiangfeng Temple and
quickly spread over 133 hectares of forested land, according to
Duan Li, Mayor of the Bai Autonomous Prefecture of Dali.
More than 1,500 people have been enlisted to help extinguish the
blaze as Duan fears the fire may spread faster than expected due to
the dry and windy weather conditions.
The cause of the fire, as well as the immediate impact on local
tourism, are not known.
(Xinhua News Agency March 8, 2007)