Vice Premier Hui Liangyu has urged local authorities to keep alert to any fire outbreak and step up efforts to prevent fire.

Hui made the request Tuesday in response to forest fires in the northeastern Heilongjiang Province and the southwestern Sichuan Province.

Hui said high temperatures and dry weather in some regions made forests more vulnerable to fire risks.

In the 24 hours till 8 a.m. Wednesday, four forest fires were reported, according to the fire prevention office under the State Forestry Administration. As of 9 p.m. Wednesday, three were still burning. One was in Heilongjiang and the other two in Sichuan. No other information was provided.

Hui also called for efforts to eliminate possible risks over the May Day holiday.

(Xinhua News Agency April 30, 2009)