Police are investigating after a blaze close to the iconic Great Wall destroyed 33 hectares of forest and fruit plantations.

The fire, which started at about noon on Tuesday, swept through the trees surrounding Simatai, a picturesque village in Miyun county. It was extinguished early the next day.

"It took more than 100 firefighters from five or six nearby villages to put out the flames," said Li, a 50-year-old farmer who declined to give his full name.

A spokesman for the county police's forestry department confirmed the incident when contacted by METRO but said no more details were available.

However, several residents told METRO that they believe the fire may have been an act of arson, with feelings still running high over the relocation of villages last August to allow China Youth Travel Service (CYTS) to develop the area.

"Only CYTS employees are working in the area. Police released a man responsible for the fire," said a female resident who refused to be identified.

CYTS has invested 3.5 billion yuan into transforming the historic site into a tourism economic zone.

The site, which has steel doors and uniformed security guards at the entrance, has been closed since last July and no date has been announced for when it will reopen.

METRO was unable to contact a spokesman for the company before going to press.

The villagers' opposition to the remodeling lies largely with the matter of compensation, according to farmer Li. "They (the government) paid 2,000 yuan for each square meter of my house," he said. "What can I live on once I lose the revenue from my (farm) site?"

Ash from the scorched trees and bushes covered several slopes of the hills nearby Simatai on Wednesday, along with a scattering of beer cans and lunch boxes left by firefighters.

Li was among many villagers who lost their entire crop of fruit-bearing plants, which had stood alongside the area's once-rich forests of pine and cypress.

"It takes more than 30 years for a pine to grow," he said. "Even the ones left standing will definitely die this year or next due to the damage they've suffered in the fire," he said.

Li Dongfang, head of Gubeikou township, said no one was killed in the blaze and that the cause is still under investigation. "There was no damage caused to the Great Wall," he added.

The Simatai section of the Great Wall was built in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and is regarded by many as the best place to enjoy the ancient relic.

China Daily

(China Daily 05/05/2011 page)