IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Sichuan

Forest fire snuffed; 32 residents flee

A forest fire that lasted two days in Sichuan province was extinguished on Wednesday afternoon, local authorities said on Thursday. The fire broke out on Monday in a forested area of Jiulong county, Ganzi Tibetan autonomous prefecture, forcing 32 residents to evacuate, sources with the county government said. The blaze burned around 50 hectares of forest and grassland. A preliminary investigation found that the fire was caused by an electrical line at a construction site, according to the county forest fire control headquarters.