Nation mourns wildfire martyrs

3,000 gather at memorial service in Sichuan; top leaders send wreaths

National flags flew at half-staff in Xichang, capital of the Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture in Sichuan province, on Thursday, a day of mourning for the 30 lives lost battling a raging forest fire.

The State Council, China's Cabinet, declared Thursday a day to honor the 30 people who were confirmed on Monday to have died in the blaze - 27 members of the Xichang fire department, a local forestry official, a forestry staff member and a villager. They ranged in age from 19 to 49 years old.