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(1) Inner Mongolia Fire Put Out, 20,000 Hectares Forest Destroyed
[CND, 05/23/98] A forest fire in Inner Mongolia destroyed nearly 20,000
hectares (49,400 acres) of greenery and was finally put out 9 days
after it started, AFP reported. The blaze burned the area in the remote
Greater Xing'an mountain range and the formidable terrain there made the
fire-fighting efforts very difficult. Workers now are trying to clear
the debris as much as possible, for any pickup in winds could reignite
the blaze. The People's Liberation Army had been called in to seed
clouds to create artificial rain, that, plus a natural drizzle, helped
to extinguish the fire. (LIU Yanping, YIN De An )