A forest fire that broke out Friday in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has been extinguished, local authorities said Saturday.

The fire was spotted around 1:00 p.m. in the Kuizhonghe forestry farm of the Dayangshu Forestry Bureau in the Greater Higgnan Mountains, said a local forestry official.

It took two teams of 130 fire fighters to finally put out the fire by late Friday night, the official said.

Initial investigations indicated that the fire was started by local villagers who were burning grassy areas to open up new fields.

Fire fighters were clearing the area lest a fire breaks out again.

The total area affected could not be immediately confirmed.

(Xinhua News Agency April 5, 2008)