Artificial rain will be produced to help control the forest fires that started Saturday on China's northeast border, officials said Tuesday.

The five fires in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province bordering Russia have ripped off some 660 hectares of forests in the city of Heihe over the past few days, with no casualties reported, said officials of the provincial forest fire control headquarters.

More than 3,000 firefighters and eight helicopters have been sent to extinguish the fires.

The cause of the fires is under investigation.

The forests in the northern part of the province were continuously ravaged by fires in summer as a result of lasting drought.

(Xinhua News Agency October 5, 2005)