Society

Forest fire put out by 5,000 firefighters in NE China

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-05-06 14:02

HARBIN - A forest fire in northeast China's Heilongjiang province was extinguished early Friday morning after an all-day effort by 5,000 firefighters, local authorities said Friday.

A firefighter tries to contain a forest fire in Jiayin County of Yichun, Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, May 5, 2011. The fire broke out Thursday morning and was mostly under control by Thursday evening. [Photo/Xinhua]

The fire, which occurred in Jiayin county in the city of Yichun, was put out by the firefighters despite obstacles such as the area's strong winds, said an official with the city's forest fire control headquarters.

The firefighters are still keeping a close eye on the burned area to rule out any possible fire hazards, he said.

The fire, which stretched about 500 meters into the forest, ignited Thursday morning.

Police are still investigating the cause of the fire.