A forest reserve around Mount Cangshan, a well-known scenic spot in Yunnan Province, southwest China, caught on fire on Thursday.

The fire started on a mountain behind Jiangfeng Temple and quickly spread over 133 hectares of forested land, according to Duan Li, Mayor of the Bai Autonomous Prefecture of Dali.

More than 1,500 people have been enlisted to help extinguish the blaze as Duan fears the fire may spread faster than expected due to the dry and windy weather conditions.

The cause of the fire, as well as the immediate impact on local tourism, are not known.

(Xinhua News Agency March 8, 2007)