In the line of fire

On Dec 5, a fire broke out in the Gaoming district of Foshan city, South China's Guangdong province, engulfing large swathes of forest on Lingyun Mountain near Yingang Reservoir.

The fire spread quickly to the north, as a gale-force winds fanned the flames, igniting multiple fires in other parts of the mountain to the west. Rescue workers were overwhelmed as recent droughts and a drop in temperatures exacerbated local weather conditions.

Thousands of acres of mountain forests were destroyed in the flames, and more than 1,000 people in nearby villages were evacuated.

Rescue teams from around Guangdong rushed to the scene, with over 3,000 firefighters and members of the emergency services taking part in the large-scale operation.

Firefighters attempted to repel the flames using every kind of fire-extinguishing methods, despite the pungent, heavy smoke. While some used water cannons, high-pressure water-vapor and fire-fan extinguishers, others resorted to using leather brooms and shovels to beat back the blaze.

Some firefighters stayed awake for more than 30 hours, rushing to the site of new fires as they broke out in the early morning cold.

Others fought the fire throughout the starry night, taking it in turns to sleep by the roadside－most stayed in the mountains and missed proper meals.

People hugged one another in the cold night as they watched the fire. Thanks to the efforts of the rescue personnel, the fierce flames were eventually dispersed and suppressed. By the afternoon of Dec 7, the blazes on the southern and western flanks of the mountain had been completely extinguished.