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National forest park on fire in SW China province

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-02-09 11:42
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GUIYANG: More than 2,000 fire fighters and local villagers were still trying to contain a forest fire in the Yushe National Forest Park in southwest China's Guizhou Province Tuesday morning, almost one day after the fire broke out.

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Sources with the Liupanshui city government said on Tuesday that the fire was under partial control. It has burnt an area of 666 hectares, which accounted for about one fourth of the forest coverage in the park.

Officials with the provincial forestry bureau have arrived the site to oversee fire control work. They said trees destroyed by the fire were mainly Japan cedar, tung and shrubbery.

The local authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire.

The park has 20 hectares of virgin forest, and is home to precious plant species of dove tree and taxus.