Forest fire under control

A forest fire that broke out on Sunday morning in Baoding, Hebei province, has largely been brought under control and no casualties have been reported, an official with the city government said on Monday.

Three fire lines were spotted in the mountains of Fuping, a county in Baoding, at about 11 am on Sunday. More than 1,500 firefighters and other teams were fighting the blaze, China Central Television reported.

Pine trees cover a large area of the mountains that had become relatively dry following a winter without snow.

Strong winds mean the fire may easily restart, so teams are guarding the mountains at night, the CCTV report said.

A report on the State Forestry Administration website on Sunday said one of the fire lines was started by an overturned vehicle.