Mountain fire put out in popular Chinese tourist city

KUNMING - A fire in a mountainous region in Dali, a well-known tourist attraction in southwest China's Yunnan Province, has been extinguished, with no casualties reported, local authorities said Monday.

The fire broke out Saturday afternoon in Haidong Township in Dali. More than 1,500 firefighters were dispatched for the fire-fighting task. The fire was put out at 10:45 pm Sunday, according to the city's publicity department.

About 700 firefighters remain on standby at the site to prevent further disasters.

A preliminary investigation said the fire, which spread across about 63 hectares of forest, was caused by a short circuit in high-voltage lines.

Further investigation is underway.