China issues orange alert for forest fires

BEIJING -- Chinese authorities have issued an orange alert for forest fires, citing drought and heat in some regions.

The Ministry of Emergency Management and the China Meteorological Administration warned that parts of Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi and Sichuan will be at high risks of forest fires on Thursday and Friday, according to a statement released by the ministry Thursday.

These regions have seen no effective precipitation recently with high temperatures and strong winds, bringing the danger of forest fires to the fourth level, the second-highest level of forest fire risks, according to the statement.

The ministry urged emergency response measures to be put in place to prevent severe forest fires.

China has a three-level warning system for forest fires, with red being the highest followed by orange and yellow.