(TibetanReview.net, Dec09’24) – Forest fire is raging in a historically Tibetan area of Sichuan province again, making it the second such reported incident in the last 20 days and after a catastrophic one which continued for days in the middle of March last year, all at different places.
The latest fire started at around 3:20 pm Dec 9 in Chengxiang Village of Hekou (Tibetan: Chukha) Township, located in Yajiang (Nyagchu) County of the Garze (Kardze) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, reported China’s official Xinhuanews agency Dec 9, citing the headquarters of forest and grassland fire prevention and control of Yajiang.
The report said no casualties had been reported. Rescuers were stated to have rushed to the site for rescue operations.
Earlier, Xinhua reported Nov 18 that a fire broke out at around 6 pm Nov 17 in Angui Village, located in Yajiang County.
The report said the fire site had an average slope of 60 degrees and an altitude of 3,500 metres and that rescue and containment operations were ongoing.
Last year, a forest fire erupted in Petse (Baizi) Village in the same county in March and rapidly spread to other areas due to sudden increases in wind speed. While no casualties or damage to infrastructure were reported, a Xinhua report said Mar 17 that in the nearby Jiaonibao Village, 21 houses were burned.
A total of 5,908 villagers belonging to 1,360 families in two Towns and one Township were reported to have been evacuated as a safety measure.
The disaster was stated to have struck a severe blow on the livelihood of the local Tibetan people: destruction of the forests’ prized matsutake mushrooms.