Inner Mongolia fights new forest fires　

By Zhao Xiao (chinadaily.com.cn)

Updated: 2017-05-04

More fires swept across Inner Mongolia’s Beidahe forest in the Greater Hinggan Mountains on May 2. Thousands of firefighters were dispatched to the scene to tackle the blaze.

Nearly 200 forest rangers rushed to control the fire, according to the regional fire prevention department of Inner Mongolia Forestry Bureau.

More than 500 rangers and firefighters were mobilized to reinforce the extinguishing operation at 2 pm.

The fires quickly spread across dry meadows helped by strong winds, and temperatures hit 28. 6 C, according to the forest authorities.

A firefighting headquarters was immediately established by the regional forestry administration, forest security police, and aviation forest guard.

The regional Party secretary Li Jiheng and chairwoman Bu Xiaolin gave instructions on how the emergency should be handled.

Strong winds changed direction at 8 pm on May 2, resulting in the fire spreading over a further 7 kilometers.

The total area impacted by the fire is estimated to be around 5,000 hectares, according to forest authorities.

To control the spread of the fire, the fire prevention headquarters of the State Forestry Administration of China arranged 12 firefighting aircraft, including two AS-350s, two M-26s, and one K-32 to conduct aerial extinguishing.

The local government also dispatched bulldozers and excavators to the site to dig trenches to try and stop the fire spreading.

By 2:30 am on May 3, 8,365 firefighters and forest rangers had been sent to the site to fight the fire, People’s Daily reported.

Further firefighting squads from Heilongjiang province stand ready to reinforce the extinguishing task.

On April 30, a fire spread from Russia across the border into Yimuhe forest of Inner Mongolia. The fire was mostly put out on the evening of May 1, but further fires reoccurred the next day at another forest.

Forest fires have always been a problem in the Greater Hinggan Mountains. The 1987 Fire Disaster at Greater Hinggan Mountains in Heilongjiang province is recognized as the most deadly since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, resulting in 1.33 million hectares of forest destroyed, and killing over 200 people, while also leaving thousands of residents homeless.

In recent years, the Greater Hinggan Mountains have taken on a new look thanks to restoration and protection work. The ability to prevent fires and manage emergencies has also vastly improved.

Forest rangers fight fires at Beidahe forest in the Greater Hinggan Mountains, Inner Mongolia autonomous region on May 2. [Photo/Xinhua]