Photo: Screenshot from CCTV

More than 2,000 firefighters and rescue personnel were mobilized in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to contain a wildfire that broke out in neighboring Mongolia last Friday and advanced toward the Chinese border driven by terrain and strong winds, but has caused no damage to China’s forests or grasslands and no casualties on the Chinese side so far, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Monday. 

The fire broke out shortly after 1 pm last Friday on the Mongolian side of the border near East Ujimqin Banner, Xilin Gol League, in Inner Mongolia. 

The firefighting teams have deployed along the border in sections, conducting patrols with equipment ready to contain any spread of the blaze. As of Monday night, the fire containment efforts are still ongoing. 

According to Fan Aijun, an official from the local emergency management bureau of Xilin Gol League, strong winds and terrain have caused the wildfire across the border to fluctuate, with the fire front advancing rapidly when winds intensify. 

Smoke from the wildfire in Mongolia has intermittently drifted into China’s border areas, with smoke visible and the smell of burning detected in some areas on the Chinese side, but the flames have not crossed the border, and no damage to forests or grasslands, or casualties have been reported on the Chinese side, Fan said. 

Local authorities have stepped up fire monitoring, adjusted firefighting deployments and implemented targeted containment measures, while assigning clear responsibilities to personnel responsible for specific sections of the border. They also prioritize key areas to prevent the fire from crossing the border and prepare reinforcements and supplies for rapid deployment if conditions change. 

Global Times