A raging forest fire has demolished about 600 hectares of woodland in a county of southwestern Sichuan Province, with no casualties reported by press time.

A forest fire broke out at the Muli Tibet autonomous county of the Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture in Sichuan at 8:00 p.m. last Tuesday, according to the provincial forest fire control authority.

Over the past five days, the fire was not controlled totally, as the forest was located at a precipitous mountain about 3,200 meters above the sea level with complex terrains. Hot and dry weather conditions also add to the difficulties in fire fighting, local authority said.

More than 1,200 firefighters have been working hard night and day to extinguish the fire. And meteorologists were dispatched to the scene Friday morning to direct efforts to induce artificial rainfall. In addition, a special working team from the State Forestry Administration reached Liangshan prefecture on Saturday morning to direct the fire combating operation and rescue effort.

Muli county boasts the largest forest area in Sichuan Province.

The cause of the fire is being investigated.

Source: Xinhua