In pictures: Forest fires in Lijiang, Yunnan

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At 5am on Monday morning a forest fire broke out 30 km away from historically-preserved Lijiang in Yunnan province, sparking worries that the popular tourism destination could be in danger. A force of 400 fire prevention workers and two helicopters moved in to control the blaze, but high winds on Monday postponed containment efforts. Thanks to the hard work of many, by early this afternoon the fire had been effectively put out! Special thanks also to this Sina microblogger, who supplied us (and most of the Chinese media!) with updates and photos of fire. Causes of the fire are still under investigation.

Update: While we are unsure what damage resulted, yesterday the fire was also said to be threatening an advanced reforestation project called Seeds of Heaven in Bulang Mountain. Rumors are that the blaze was set deliberately as an expansion effort by a nearby cow farm.

Here's footage of the aerial firefighting efforts and the damage to the forest:

Photos from Netease and Sina Weibo.