'Eruptive' forest fires seen as rare, highly dangerous
By Zhang Zhihao | China Daily | Updated: 2019-04-03 06:52
The blaze in Sichuan province that claimed 30 lives is likely a rare but extremely dangerous and unpredictable type of wildfire known as eruptive fire, an expert said.
More scientific research and improvements in awareness and training for firefighters are key for preventing similar tragedies, said Liu Naian, deputy director of the State Key Laboratory of Fire Science.
At about 6 pm on Saturday, a fire broke out in the alpine forest near the village of Li'er in the Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture's Muli county. The firefighting effort was complicated by high altitude, complex terrain and difficulties with transportation and communications.
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