3,900 firefighters battle Yunnan forest fire

About 3,900 firefighters are scrambling to put out a forest fire in southwest China's Yunnan province, local authorities said on Monday.

The fire, which broke out on Saturday afternoon in the city of Anning, has burned an area of 4,500 mu (300 hectares) by Monday night, according to the forest fire department in Kunming, which administers Anning.

The fire is still raging on its eastern front, while the fire on the other fronts has been extinguished, it said.

Authorities also have mobilized helicopters to join the firefighting operation.

An investigation into the cause of the fire is under way.