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| Northeast China Forest Fires Extinguished |
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Three major forest fires that have raged in north and northeast China over the last 11 days have been extinguished despite unfavorable weather conditions, the state fire-fighting headquarters announced Friday. More than 33,000 people have been recruited to fight the fires, which were all started by lightning, since May 21, said a source with the frontline firefighting headquarters under the State Council. The first blaze, in Galashan area of the northeastern province of Heilongjiang, was put out at about 5:00 PM Wednesday. The second, which ravaged Heilongjiang's Kanduhe forest was put out at 5:00 AM Friday, and the third in the Mianduhe forest in Inner Mongolia was extinguished by 8:00 PM Thursday. No fatalities have been reported, and the local authorities are surveying the number of homes affected and the area of burnt forest. "It's an overwhelming victory for the firefighters to extinguish such ferocious fires within 11 days despite continuous drought, high temperatures, strong winds, and frequent resurgences," said a headquarters spokesman. "Armed police, soldiers, firemen, forest workers, local residents and government officials have jointly made a decisive victory," Chinese Vice-Premier Hui Liangyu said Friday, particularly praising the police and soldiers for their hard struggle. The affected regions, which extend deep into China's largest virgin forest in the Greater Khingan Ranges, have suffered from extremely arid weather since May, with 80 percent less rainfall than the same period last year. The fires spread rapidly, fanned by winds of up to 72 kilometers per hour. The State Forestry Administration and local governments launched emergency procedures as soon as the fires were reported, minimizing forestry losses and casualties, the headquarters spokesman said. Earlier reports said that 35 officers from the paramilitary armed police were injured while fighting the fire in the Galashan forest near the city of Heihe near Russia. The efforts of the military, public security bodies, meteorological stations, civil aviation and railway administrations had greatly helped the firefighters. However, Hui warned the firefighters of the possibility of the fires resurging, urging them to continue to fight minor fires still raging in the regions. The vice-premier arrived at the site Monday with a work team from the State Council, or the cabinet, to take charge of the battle against the fires. Hui said the north and northeast regions still faced a high fire risk, warning relative departments to be alert for new fires. President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao have ordered local authorities to take forceful, effective, and scientific measures, stressing the safety of rescuers and local residents. Several minor forest fires in the regions have been contained, but a blaze spreading from the bordering Mongolia to the Wuma area in northern Greater Khingan Ranges is still raging as high winds and thick bushes hinder firefighting efforts. "Hopefully, this will accelerate the relocation program to provide us with safer lives," said Zheng Zhongxin, a worker at Galashan Forest Farm. "We want to move out of the forest," said Zheng, 31, father of a two-month-old son. His hut and all other belongs were engulfed by the fire. The government of Heihe plans to relocate people of 1,665 households from 70 villages in the mountainous region over the next five years. Financial and material assistance in line with the government's relocation policies will help provide farming livelihoods in plain regions. More than 50 affected households in the Heihe forest area have been evacuated. Food, water, tents, clothes, quilts and other materials have been trucked to their temporary residences. But some worry about the future. "How can we rebuild our homes and make a living? We have nothing left now," said Li Guihua, a woman who has lived in the forest area for over 30 years. (Xinhua News Agency June 3, 2006)
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