Related: Top leaders call for effective measures to quench forest fires

Fire fighters extinguish forest fire at Xirite Banner (County), north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on May 28, 2006. After four days of round-the-clock efforts, a forest fire at Xirite Banner had been enclosed and brought under control by early Monday morning, local fire fighters said.(Xinhua Photo)

    BEIJING, May 29 (Xinhua) -- More than 20,000 police and fire-fighters are battling to contain three major forest fires in northern China, the state forestry authority said on Monday.

    Blazes in the Galashan Forest Farm of Nenjiang County in China's northernmost Heilongjiang Province, the Kandu River of Songling Region in the largest virgin forest of the Greater Khingan Ranges, and the Miandu River in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region are still out of control despite intense fire-fighting efforts, Cao Qingyao, spokesman with the State Forestry Administration said on Monday.

Forest policemen extinguish the fire at Xirite Banner (County), north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on May 28, 2006.(Xinhua Photo)

    More than 20,000 police and firemen and 13 airplanes are putting water on the fires, which are being fed by strong winds, high temperatures and dry weather, Cao said.

    Statistics from local meteorological bureaus show that rainfall in Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang has decreased by over 30 percent compared with the same period in previous years, which has exposed the regions to higher fire risks.

    The fires broke out owing to lightning strikes and other unknown causes, but no official figures are available for how much land has been affected.

    Two forest fires at Xirite Banner and Mangui Forest Farm in Inner Mongolia have been brought under control Monday. No casualties have been reported so far. Enditem