Five suspects in connection with two forest fires that killed two and injured three others in southwest China had been placed under detention, police said on Sunday.

An initial investigation showed that the five detained, all local villagers, were suspected of causing two forest fires in Bijie City, Guizhou Province when burning straw, said Du Shiming, head of the Bijie Municipal Forest Police Station.

Du gave no further details except that the detained included Lu Rongmiao and Liu Chaozhong, two farmers from the city's Haizijie Township.

China was plagued by a lingering drought and weather was dry in many areas over the past weeks, which increased the fire risk.

(Xinhua News Agency February 16, 2009)