Attempts to make artificial rain were made Friday night to
control forest fires that have raged at the Greater Hinggan
Mountains in northeast China for several days, local forestry
sources said.
Favorable weather including low temperatures and mild wind made
for good conditions for making artificial rain at the fire-hit
forest areas, said the sources.
Nearly 10,000 fire fighters and forest rangers are fighting
against the fires that broke out last Sunday at Galashan Forest
Farm of Heihe City and at Kanduhe Forest Farm at the Greater
Hinggan Mountains.
By Thursday noon, the fire-hit area of the Galashan farm was
about 120 square kilometers, and 20 square kilometers of the
Kanduhe farm was burned, according to the forest fire prevention
headquarters of Heilongjiang Province.
More than 140 residents in Beijiang Town of Huma County and the
Galashan farm have been evacuated from the area, but no injuries
were reported, according to the headquarters.
By 8:00 PM Friday, the fire of Huma County has been?brought
under control, but the fires at the Kanduhe farm were still raging,
it said.
If the artificial rainfall is successful the fire at the Kanduhe
farm is likely to be controlled, said fire fighters.
Another 2,300 fire fighters are still working to control a
forest fire at Yakeshi City of neighboring Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The fire
burned an area of 30 square kilometers.
(Xinhua News Agency May 27, 2006)