Guizhou Province forestry authorities revealed that a forest fire, beginning on Saturday, had been put out in the early hours of Sunday with no reported casualties.

Occurring at 3 PM in Loushanguan Town of Tongzi County, the blaze burnt more than 40 hectares of forests. Investigation shows that the fire was ignited by the burning straws of an octagenarian villager.

She burned the straws before cultivating farmland that was deserted two years ago, hoping to grow more crops as severe drought last summer had greatly reduced her grain output.

(Xinhua News Agency September 25, 2006)