China deploys satellite, mobile teams to combat Sichuan forest fires

China's top meteorological agency has taken swift action to combat forest fires raging in Sichuan province's Garze Tibetan autonomous prefecture.

In response to the blazes that erupted in Yajiang and Kangding counties on Friday and Saturday, the National Meteorological Center activated an emergency response to provide vital weather monitoring and forecasting support.

A key step involved relocating the rapid imaging center of the Fengyun-4B satellite to Chengdu, the Sichuan provincial capital. This strategic move allows for closer and more frequent observation of the fire zone's weather patterns.

On the provincial level, the meteorological center initiated a level-4 emergency response, the lowest within the four-tier system. Meanwhile, the prefectural meteorological center issued the most severe level-1 emergency response.

Firefighting efforts received a boost on Saturday with the arrival of a prefectural special work group equipped with mobile observation equipment at the fire site. This team provides critical hourly reports on current and forecasted weather conditions to the prefectural forest and grassland fire prevention and control command post.

Further bolstering relief efforts, the prefectural meteorological center deployed mobile radar vehicles on Sunday morning. This advanced technology provides more precise meteorological data, aiding firefighters in their strategic decision-making.

As of Sunday midday, the prefectural center had issued a total of 43 weather observations and forecasts for Yajiang and 16 for Kangding. Additionally, they played a crucial role in issuing a yellow alert for strong winds across affected areas within the county. Wind speeds are expected to reach level-8 or higher within the next 12 hours, posing a potential challenge to firefighting efforts.

The prefectural meteorological center has warned of continued high forest fire danger in Yajiang and Kangding for the next three days. Strong gusts and sudden wind direction changes are of particular concern, as they can complicate fire containment.

Firefighting operations are ongoing, and no casualties have been reported as of yet.