Lightning ignited major forest fire in South West China - report

Lightning strike has been stated to be the cause of a major forest fire that killed 27 firefighters and three others recently in southwest China's Sichuan Province, media reported. The provincial forestry and grassland administration cited police as saying that the lightning igniting the fire was first witnessed and reported by local people in Muli County, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture.

State-run Xinhua news agency reported on Friday that after a thorough investigation, police found an 18-meter pine tree as the starting point of the fire. The lightning tore apart the tree trunk and was transmitted to ignite the humus layer on the ground, it said. The forest fire broke out on March 30 on top of a remote mountain at an altitude of over 3,700 meters. Local authorities dispatched more than 600 people to put out the blaze.

(With inputs from agencies.)