(TibetanReview.net, Feb07’25) –China meticulously denied site access and strictly censored information after a devastating earthquake hit Tibet’s Mt Everest county of Dingri on Jan 7 morning. Now it is alleged to be doing the same with four forest fires which were stated to have been raging at different places across Tibet over the past two weeks.
China’s state media has provided only general reports, with no casualty figures. Besides, Chinese authorities have restricted local residents from sharing details about the disasters on social media, reported the Tibetan service of rfa.org Feb 6.
The forest fires remain to be contained even after 10 days because only few firefighters were dispatched by the authorities, the report cited an exile Tibetan source with local contacts as saying.
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The largest of these was stated to have broken out in Kyirong (Chinese: Jilong, Kerung, etc) county of Shigatse City, near the border with Nepal, Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), on Jan 23. It swept through 40 sq km (15 sq m) and still remains out of control, the report said, citing satellite images and sources with knowledge of the ground situation.
Although most of Kyirong county falls under China’s Qomolangma National Natural Reserve project, and is known for its rich biodiversity, the authorities, on Jan 24, initiated only a Level 4 emergency response — the lowest on China’s four-tier system — at 2 pm, the report said, citing an announcement from the county bureau’s Emergency Plan.
Satellite imagery were stated to show that the Kyirong forest fire started near Sale (Seqiong) village, close to the Nepal border, and spread across more than 17 km (11 miles). It is now stated to be blazing in forests close to Kyirong town.
The report said another forest fire was raging in Gangri township of Drachen (Baqing) county in Nagchu City, TAR.
A Tibetan netizen was stated to have written on a Chinese social media site on Feb 5: “Even though it has been days since the first fire outbreak, there’s no help in extinguishing the fire. Who’s going to save us?”
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Besides, two other forest fires were stated to have been raging in historically Tibetan areas in Sichuan province: one near Ringpo village in Nyagchu (Yajiang) county of Kardze (Ganzi) Prefecture that broke out on Feb 2 and another near Gamda village in Zamthang (Rangtang) county of Ngawa (Aba) Prefecture on Feb 5.
Nyagchu (or Nyagchuka) had been hit by forest fires before. In Dec 2024, a blaze broke out on the mountains near Chuka town and it took a week to put it out. Another forest fire before that, in Mar 2024, resulted in significant property damage, the report noted.
The county boasts of rich biodiversity and is home to 196 species of large fungi, including 126 edible varieties, as well as an abundance of medicinal plants such as cordyceps, astragalus and fritillaria, the report noted.
Meanwhile, the forest fire in Zamthang county, which occurred around 4 pm, was stated to threaten several surrounding villages as it continued to spread.
China’s state media were cited as saying the Sichuan Provincial Forest Fire Brigade had dispatched 495 people and 93 vehicles to the fire scene.