Forestry authorities said on Sunday that fire fighters have halted the spread of a fire that has swept across 800 hectares of mountainside woods in Muli County in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

No casualties have been reported, according to the forest-fire prevention office of the State Forestry Administration (SFA).

The fire broke out on May 17 in an area of virgin forest and spread quickly due to dry weather and strong winds. Some 2,150 police officers and local residents have rushed to the spot to help fight it.

Vice-Premier Hui Liangyu has issued instructions to curb the fire, and the SFA has dispatched a working group to supervise operations and organized transportation of equipment.

(Xinhua News Agency May 23, 2005)