A forest fire broke out on Wednesday morning in Hulun Buir City, in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, spreading over 20 square kilometers, according to local authorities.

The fire occurred near Hongyan Town, an area covered in thick springwood of birch and pastures.

At press time, no casualties had been reported, but firefighting efforts were hampered by strong winds.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Temperatures at this time of the year are a little higher than usual. An earlier forest fire occurred on October 12. 

(Xinhua News Agency October 20, 2005)