CHINA / Regional

Woman arrested in connection with forest fire
(AP)
Updated: 2006-04-05 18:44

Police in southwest China have arrested a woman in connection with a weeklong forest fire they suspect was started by arson, the government said Wednesday.

The blaze started March 29 in Anning, about 28 kilometers (17 miles) from Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, the Xinhua News Agency said. It has destroyed 530 hectares (1,300 acres) of forest, it said.

The report did not give any details on the woman or why she was arrested. She has been sent to a psychiatric institution for evaluation, Xinhua said.

Some 6,000 people were fighting the fire, which has been aggravated by a prolonged drought and windy weather, it said.