The flame in two spots among a dozen in a north China's virgin forest that caught fire Tuesday have been basically controlled, local police sources said Thursday.  

Some 200 police are fighting fire at a dozen spots in a virgin forest in the Greater Khingan Range, a major base of virgin forest reserve in north China, with 1,500 more police are on the way to the sites.

The fire began Tuesday noon and the cause of it is yet to be found. High temperature and small amount of rainfall in the region are blamed for the incident.

(Xinhua News Agency June 24, 2004)